The Kringle House
by Late Night Muses
Summary: FINISHED! The Conlons return to Pleasant Valley. Will they discover who or what is behind all the strange things happening in their house?
1. Default Chapter

**The Kringle House**

**Chapter 1:**

Rae looked across the table at Ann and Andy's drooping eyes.  She smiled at Spot. "I think it's bedtime for two little people."

"Nooo," they whimpered, but it wasn't with much force as they were already half asleep already.

"No fussing. It's bedtime." Spot said.

Almost too easily, they gave in. Spot and Rae stood and scooped up each sleepy child and headed up the stairs.

Rae carried Andy into the room that he had used before and tucked him into the bed. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Night Miss Rae." He hugged her tightly around the neck and snuggled under the covers.

She smiled and kissed his forehead, before slipping into her old room where Spot was tucking Ann into bed.

"Sleep tight kiddo." Spot placed a kiss on Ann's forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Daddy. Night, Momma." Ann whispered.

Rae kissed her forehead as well. "Goodnight sweetheart." 

Ann looked around the room. "Are there monsters in here?"

Spot shook her head. "No, I made sure to check for all the monsters. There aren't any monsters in this room!"

"Are you sure Daddy?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now it's time for you to get some sleep. You remember what Dr. Trent said."

She nodded and repeated, "Good night Momma and Daddy."

They waited until she was asleep before leaving the room.  "Shall we go get the other two settled in?" Rae asked.

He nodded, following her down the stairs. 

They found Chris and Julie in the cleaning washing the dishes. "You kids didn't have to do that." Rae said.

Julie shrugged and smiled. "We didn't have anything better to do anyway."

"Oh riiight." Chris rolled his eyes. "She made me do it."

Spot laughed.  "Next time I need you to do something, I'll be sure to call on Julie."

Chris wrinkled his nose and Julie grinned.

"When you are finished we need to talk sleeping arrangements," Rae said, sitting back down at the table. They merely nodded and finished up quickly afterwards. "We have one extra room. So one or both of you is going to have to share with one of the twins."

"I don't mind sharing with Ann," Julie offered.

Chris, trying to be a little more macho, replied, "Eh... yeah... well, I guess I can deal with Andy... Kinda taken a liking to the kid..."

Rae and Spot smiled at each other.  "Sounds good to me," Spot said.

"Can you show me where my room is? I'm tired," Julie said.

"Me too," her brother added.

"If you will show them to their rooms, I'll lock up for the night," Spot told Rae. She nodded and led them up the stairs. Spot went over to the door and locked up as he had said he would. As he turned and walked around, he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Whipping his head towards the kitchen, he frowned and went over. He poked his head in and looked around. There was nothing to be seen. "Must be tired or something..." he muttered, shaking his head. He finished checking the locks on the downstairs doors and windows before carrying the last lamp up the stairs, leaving the lower floor in complete darkness.

Rae was already in bed, reading another book. Gingerly, she set it down as he entered the room. "It's about time," she teased with a smile.

He smiled as he walked over and gave her a kiss. "It's been a while since I've had doors to lock."

She stretched out as he climbed into bed. "It's so good to be home."

"It sure is," He said, wrapping his arms around her.

She snuggled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "And I never want to go on a cruise again."

"I'll be perfectly happy to keep both feet on dry land for the rest of my life," he whispered, kissing her forehead.

She started to giggle a little. "I guess that means you won't be going out in the rain?"

He propped up on one elbow and looked at her. "Are you suggesting that I'm afraid of a little bit of rain?" he asked, with a smirk.

"Well, rain causes wet land, and you said you wanted to keep your feet on dry land, so naturally one would assume..." She grinned.

He grinned at her. "And you say that I'm horrible."

She giggled, kissing him gently on the lips. "You know I love you."

"I know," he whispered, pulling her into his arms and kissing her back.

"And you know you're horrible," she teased, kissing him back again.

"You better believe it," he said, leaning down to kiss her, but stopped when he heard a soft knock on the door.

Rae sighed, propping herself up on her elbows. "Yes?"

The door opened a crack and Ann stuck her head in, tears rolling down her little checks.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" she asked, sitting up and extending a hand towards the girl.

"I had a scary dream," she whimpered, creping over to them

Rae pulled the girl onto the bed and held her close. "It's alright, Ann, it was only a dream." she whispered, stroking the girl's sleep-tangled hair.

She buried her face in Rae's shoulder. "But it was scary and real!"

"Want to tell us about it?" Spot asked.

"There was someone in my room. And she was taking things." Ann cried.

"What kinds of things?" Spot and Rae exchanged glances. This didn't sound like a typical nightmare.

"Clothes and some of those really pretty little things on the shelves that you told me not to touch."

Even more odd. "What made it so scary? Did she do something mean to scare you?"

"At first I thought it was Momma, and I called to her, but she came over and kept telling me to be quiet or she would have to hurt me."

"Well, it was just a dream." Rae kissed her forehead. "And dreams can't hurt you."

Ann sobbed and tightened her arms around Rae's neck. "Please don't make me go back to my bed."

"Ann, sweetheart, you need to learn to sleep in your own room," Spot said gently.

"But that mean lady will hurt me if I go back, Daddy." Ann sobbed, looking at him. "Please don't make me go back."

Rae glanced at Spot. "Just tonight?" she asked.

After a long pause, he sighed. "All right. Ann, you can sleep in here for tonight. But tomorrow it's back in your own bed, understand?"

Ann nodded slowly. "Yes, Daddy."

He lifted the covers and let Ann crawl in.

Ann settled herself on the bed between them and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  With a sigh, Rae brushed the hair from the girl's face and looked up at Spot. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay. I know you feel sorry for her. I do too..."

"What do you think about that dream?"

Spot shrugged. "It was pretty... different compared to all her other dreams."

"Do you think she really saw someone?"

"Nah... I mean, unless Chris, Julie, or Andy walks around in their sleep or something, I doubt it. There's no one here but us."

Rae sighed again and rested her head on her pillow. "I love you, Spot." she whispered.

"I love you too, Rae."

She reached across Ann and held her hand out to him. With a smile, he took it and squeezed it.

* * *

Rae was the first one awake the next morning and remembering Ann's "dream", she crawled out of bed and walked into the girls' room.  Sure enough, some of the knick-knacks and Ann had mentioned were gone.  Opening the wardrobe she noticed that a few of the hangers were empty as well.

With a deep frown, she walked back to her room and shook Spot awake. "Ann was right; some of her things are missing."

Spot rubbed his eyes and sat up, "I don't see how. I locked all the doors last night."

"I don't know how either, but it happened... unless the kids are playing a joke on her- which I doubt."

"I don't think they'd do that either." Spot said.  "Let's just keep an eye out for them. Maybe they will turn up somewhere else."

"Maybe," she echoed uncertainly.

He took her hand. "There's nothing to worry about."

"I don't know... I mean... when we said where we were living, that driver seemed a little... I don't know... concerned... What if..."

"No what-ifs Mrs. Conlon."

"But, Spot..."

He silenced her by pulling her down onto his lap and kissing her.

She smiled through the kiss. "You know... one of these days you are going to have to actually finish an argument with me a different way."

"Why?" he asked. "I kinda like ending arguments this way."

"Because I said so, that's why."

"You'll have to do better than that, Conlon." he said with a smirk.

She grinned. "I do not, and you know it."

"Oh, I don't think so."

"I do think so."

"If you keep this up, Mrs. Conlon, I'll just have to kiss you again." he warned with an impish grin.

"Mm... then I think I will keep it up, Mr. Conlon."

He leaned down as if he was going to kiss her, but stopped about an inch from her. "Nope, I don't think I'll kiss you this time.  You're expecting it."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Fine then, I just won't let you kiss me."

"I'd like to see you stop me," he said with an impish grin.

"Alright then. Try it."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I love you," he whispered, just before he kissed her.

Rae wrinkled her nose. "That's not fair, that's playing dirty. I wasn't ready."

"Whoever said that Spot Conlon played fair?"

"Hmm, you're right."

He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. "Race ya downstairs."

She grinned. "Well, I'm sitting on you... and I ain't moving... So I guess you can't race, now can you?"

"I seem to recall you shoving me to the floor a couple of days ago..."

"Hmm... I don't seem to remember this incident." She smirked impishly.

"You little rascal."

"That I am," she admitted with a grin.

He kissed her gently. "If you promise to behave I'll let you fix breakfast all by yourself," he teased.

She snorted loudly. "You'll LET me?" She rested her forehead on his. "How about if YOU behave, I'll let YOU fix breakfast... save the whole family from food poisoning."

He snickered. "How about we work together? And I promise not to throw any flour this time."

Rae grinned. "Deal."

* * *

"Spot, didn't Julie and Chris wash the dishes last night and put them away?" Rae asked once they were in the kitchen.

He was busy rifling through the pantry in search of a loaf of bread he thought he had placed there. "Yeah... why? Have you seen that loaf of bread?"

"Because there are a couple of dirty dishes here." Rae said, wrinkling her nose.  "No I haven't seen the bread since you put it up yesterday."

"Well... I thought I did... but ... I don't see it..." He left the pantry. "Take a look. Maybe I'm just overlooking it."

She walked over to the pantry.  "It's not here.  And some of those canned goods I got yesterday are gone too."

"You think maybe Chris got hungry last night?"

"Maybe.  I'll ask him later. Let's see what else we can find."

"Or can't find."

Rae sighed and walked back over to the pantry.  "I don't think we have much. I need to go shopping today."

Spot peered over her shoulder. "But we did have more than that... I'll have to have a talk with Chris..."

"Spot, we don't know for sure that Chris took the food.  Even if he did, he is part of this family; he should be able to come get something out of the pantry if he is hungry."

"Well, yes, of course. But not empty half the pantry!"

Rae turned to face him. "We only got back yesterday and we were gone for a month.  There wasn't much in here."

Spot sighed. "I guess."

She smiled at him, "It's no big deal.   We needed food anyway."

He nodded. "I'll still ask him though... that was some good bread."

Rae snickered. "You are just looking for a chance to argue with him."

"Of course... you had your doubts?"

She wrinkled her nose. "You're horrible."

            He grinned. "Didn't we already go through this?"

"Just thought I'd remind you."

He chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Come on," he said, "let's see what we can put together for breakfast and then you and Chris can go into town and do some shopping."

She nodded, scrounging through the cabinets. "You really should come with me...."

He took her by the shoulders and gently turned her to face him. "I can't Rae. Not yet."

She looked at him sadly. "But you went on the cruise... you went back to Brooklyn..."

"But the people here react differently to me.  To them I am 'The Beast'.   I'm not going into town."

She sighed gently and touched his scarred face. "But you know that they will continue to act like that if you hide out here..."

"I just need some more time.  One day I will go back into town.  I promise."

She kissed him gently. "I'll hold you to that promise, Conlon."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know you will," he whispered before kissing her back.

She smiled and went to grab a few apples from a basket. "Well... I found part of our breakfast."

"Well, we have some more canned meat."

She wrinkled her nose. "No more canned meat for a while."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I feel the same way, but it's all we have until you go get more food."

She sighed. "All right... want to go wake up the kids?"

"Sure," he said, leaving the room and climbing the stairs.

Rae took out a knife and began slicing up the apples.

Spot stopped at the door to the boys' room and knocked loudly on it. "Up and at 'em, you two."

There was a yelp and a thump and a pattering of footsteps before Chris threw open the door, looking disheveled. Behind him, his blankets were piled in a lump on the floor, and he seemed to be favoring his right ankle.

Spot smirked, lifting a brow. "Good morning. Fall out of bed?"

Chris glared at him. "Yeah."

"Now why would you go and do a thing like that?"

"Because the kid wrapped the blankets around my feet."

Spot leaned against the doorframe, laughing. Chris muttered a curse and went to shut the door. He shoved his foot in the doorway. "Uh uh. There are young ears around this household. Watch your tongue. And it's time to get up."

"Fine!" Chris said, attempting to shut the door again.

"Well, getting up usually entails going down stairs and eating some breakfast. Why don't you do that?" He entered the room fully and shoved Chris out. Chris muttered something that Spot couldn't quite make out as he walked down the stairs. Spot shook his head and went over to Andy. "Come on, kiddo. Poke up."

Andy groaned but crawled out of the bed. Ushering the boy out of the room and towards the staircase, he then headed back to wake up the girls. He knocked on the open door to the girls' room, "Time to get up Julie," he said, before heading to his room to wake up Ann.

Walking into the room, he grabbed Ann's arm and gently shook it. "Wake up kiddo. Breakfast time."

She sat up slowly, "Will you carry me, Daddy?" 

"Sure kiddo." Spot scooped her up and carried her downstairs. 

Everyone was sitting at the table waiting on them when they entered the room. He placed Ann in her seat and sat down next to Rae.

"Not fair, Ann gets carried downstairs and I have to walk?" she murmured to him with a quirked mouth. "I think we know who's the woman of the house."

"You didn't ask," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her.

"I shouldn't have to," she teased, kissing him back.

"Ewww," Andy groaned, hiding behind his hands. 

"Are you sure you won't go into town with me?" Rae asked Spot after breakfast.

"I'm positive. Take Chris and Julie. Let them see the town. They'll enjoy it, I'm sure."

Rae sighed and sent him a pleading look.

"You're not going to make me change my mind Rae," he replied. She nodded and turned to walk away. Spot sighed and leaned against the wall, tilting his head back.

Rae walked into the playroom where Ann and Andy were showing Chris and Julie all the toys they had gotten for Christmas. "Chris, Julie, how about going into town with me."

They looked at one another and shrugged. "I guess."

"Then let's go. It's a long walk."

They jumped to their feet and followed Rae out the door. "First thing we'll have to get is shoes for you two. Then some food."

* * *

"Good to see you again Tom," Rae said cheerfully to the clerk when they entered the store.

He gave her a wary look and then stared at the two children with her. "Can I... help you?" he managed to squawk.

"You sure can," she said. "Chris and Julie need some shoes and then I need to do some grocery shopping."

"All right then... Children, this way."

Chris and Julie followed him to the shoe section while Rae walked around the store making a mental list of things they would need.

A few minutes later, Chris and Julie approached her with newly fitted shoes.

Half an hour later they left the store, each carrying several bags.

"My shoes are making my feet hurt," Chris complained, limping, as they left town.

"That's because they are new. You'll get used to them."

"I don't want to get used to them. I don't like them. I don't like wearing shoes at all."

"Well you can't go around barefoot all your life."

"If I lived on a farm, I bet I could."

"No you couldn't. And you don't live on a farm, so get over it."

They walked in silence for a few more minutes before he stopped and took the shoes off his feet.  He dropped them into one of the bags that he was carrying.

Rae rolled her eyes. "I don't know what to do with you."

"Just ignore me," Chris offered.

"No, because that's what you want." She smirked and ruffled his hair. Oh well, boys would be boys she figured.

"Couldn't you just try for a little while, Rae?" Chris asked. "You wouldn't miss me that much."

"In your dreams, kid."

He groaned. "This would be easier if we got us some horses.  Then we wouldn't have to walk."

"Well we don't have horses, so stop whining," Rae and Julie said simultaneously. They grinned at one another while he sulked.

"Women," he muttered.

Rae leaned against the gate to push it open. "Come on, let's see how Spot managed with the twins."

They followed her through the gates and into a house where the twins were screaming like banshees.

"What's going ON?!" Rae yelled over the racket, stepping over and pushing the twins, who were attacking Spot, away.

Spot looked up. "Oh, hi. We were playing a game."

Rae ignored him and scooped Ann up into her arms. "Come on Miss Ann. Nap time. Besides, didn't Dr. Trent tell you that you weren't supposed to play any rowdy games?"

"But I was having fun Mommy... Andy really let me play this time."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you have to rest." Rae placed her hand on the little girl's forehead.  "You still have a fever."

She whimpered, clinging to Rae's neck.

"But I want to play," she whined.

"If you want to get better and play all the time, you have to rest now."

"But I don't want to take a nap."

"Listen to her Ann," Spot said in an authoritative tone.

Ann opened her mouth the protest again, but began sobbing instead.

Rae stroked her hair. "It's okay sweetheart."

Spot put his hand on Rae's back and gently pushed her toward the stairs. "Let's go tuck you in for your nap."

Together they headed up the stairs and put Ann to bed.

"Sleep tight." Both Rae and Spot gave her a kiss on the forehead and then left the room.

Rae turned to Spot. "Next time I leave you in charge, try NOT to give in to a pair of five year olds."

He grinned sheepishly. "I know... But they were bored and whining... and Andy started it... And when he starts... look out."

Rae sent him a look. "He's a five year old. You're the adult.  Besides Ann shouldn't have been playing.  Trent told us to keep her quiet for a few weeks, to make sure that she gets better."

He sighed. "I know...." He bit back the urge to say 'Yes mother.'

Rae shot him a look and turned to walk away.

He sighed again. "Rae... I'm sorry..." She turned back around and stared at him. Spot stopped and blinked at her.

She leaned against the wall. "I'm the one who's sorry.  I over-reacted."

"Well... you had every right to over-react, I suppose.... I mean, you WERE right... Ann was supposed to stay calm..."

Rae lifted her hands to her face and sighed. Spot put his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. "I'm sorry. This whole thing with Ann just frustrates me. I want to help her and make her better, but I don't know how."

"There's nothing we can do... Trent said we had to wait... as hard as that is to do..."

She looked up at him. "I love you," she whispered.

He kissed her gently and smiled a bit. "I know you do... now let's go back downstairs and put everything away... Make sure those kids aren't killing each other."

She nodded and followed him down the stairs.

"Hey kids, want to help us unpack the groceries?" Spot asked when he entered the living room to find the kids playing a simple card game.

"Already did," Chris replied, not looking up.

"Thank you Chris," Rae said.  "Can Spot and I talk to you in the kitchen for a minute?"

He glanced up at her. "Um.... Yeah... I guess..."

"Spot has something he wants to ask you about," Rae said, sitting on a stool once the three were in the kitchen.

Spot gave Rae a look and then turned to Chris, who was watching him curiously. "Chris... um," he leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his chest. "You wouldn't happen to... you know... have come down last night and grabbed a bite to eat last night, would you? You're not going to get into trouble or anything, I'm just ... wondering."

"No," Chris answered. "I was asleep almost as soon as I crawled in bed and I don't remember a thing until you woke me up this morning."

"Okay... just wondering."

"Why? What happened?"

Spot glanced at Rae, fully allowing her to explain, if she wished.

"Some things disappeared last night, Chris. That's all."

"Oh... well, all I know is I didn't take it."

"I didn't think you did. We just wanted to make sure.  Will you help us keep an eye on things for a few days without letting the others know?"

He nodded. "I guess I could."

"Good. Now get those shoes back on those feet." Rae said with a smile.

"Do I haaaave to?" he whined, much in the style Andy would.

Spot laughed. "Yes, kid, you have to."

He sighed, wrinkling his nose and went to find his shoes.

Rae smiled. "Since that's all taken care of and the groceries are put away, I think I'll go look through the desk in the study again. See if I can find anything."

Spot laughed. "What kinds of things?"

"Maybe something that will tell me why men can be so stupid sometimes."

"While you're at it, look for the book that instructs women how to be nice to their husbands."

"Maybe if my husband wasn't such an idiot about things I would be a lot nicer."

"Maybe if my wife wasn't so mean to me, I would be less of an idiot."

"Your refusing to go into town has nothing to do with how nice I am to you."

"It still doesn't make me an idiot."

Rae growled in frustration and stormed from the room.

Spot rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. What started out as good fun- or so he thought- ended up in yet another fight. Two in one day... how "lucky" was he going to get?

Rae threw herself onto the couch in the living room.  Surely he was teasing, right? So why had she turned it into an argument?

After several very long minutes- minutes Spot spent organizing the pantry, organizing dishes in the cabinet, and just plain avoiding going back into the living room, he finally decided to get over it and go. Into the living room, that is.

Andy looked up when he walked in. "Did you and Miss Rae have a fight?"

"No," Rae said as Spot said "Yes." They looked at one another, glared, and looked away. "Yes," she corrected herself as he said, "No."

Chris looked back and forth between them. "Come on, Andy, Julie, let's go take a look at the barn."

"But I don't wanna look at the barn," Andy whined.

Julie took his arm. "Let's go look, Andy."

Andy pouted, but allowed Julie to lead him from the room.

Spot turned to Rae. "What has gotten into you? I thought we were just joking around, and suddenly you're mad at me again?!"

"How was I supposed to know that you were joking around, Spot? You sounded might serious to me."

"I sounded just like you did! You were saying the same kinds of things in the same way!" Rae crossed her arms with a grunt and glared daggers into the floor. "I think you need to go lie down or something."

"Why?" she snapped.

"Because you're in a bad mood that's why!"

"Make me, Conlon!"

He picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, carrying her up the stairs.

"Spot, put me down," she yelled, beating her fists on his back.

"Oh, you think that will make me listen?"

She sighed in defeat, knowing that he wouldn't put her down.

He patted her leg. "Thanks... that was starting to hurt."

"Must you carry me over your shoulder?"

"Yes... see, I find it helps when your wife wants to soak you."

"If you don't put me down, Spot Conlon, so help me I WILL soak you!"

He set her down, but only because they had reached their destination. She balled her hand into a fist, and seeing this; he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Still, she whacked the back of his head but kissed him back in spite of herself.

"I should still soak ya," she whispered a moment later when he broke the kiss.

"I wish you wouldn't. What would the kids think?"

"I think they'd be impressed that I beat ya," she teased.

With a grin, he rested his forehead on hers. "So sure are we?"

"Yep," she said, leaning up to kiss him.

He kissed her back. "You take a nap now, Mrs. Conlon."

"Only if you stay here with me, Mr. Conlon."

He smiled. "Well... I guess I could use a nap too... we all could... hopefully Andy, Chris, and Julie will get the hint when they come back."

"Hopefully," she said, crawling onto the bed and laying down.

Pushing his shoes off his feet, he crawled up next to her and settled down beside her, tucking his arm around her waist. "You know... its times like these when I'm glad we're not at the lodging house anymore."

"Oh?" she asked with a yawn.

"Yeah... they're worse than the kids walking in... they just never stop!" He grinned and kissed her cheek.

She rolled over to face him. "You can do better than that, Conlon."

He grinned. "You know me too well." And he gave her a warm kiss on the lips.

* * *

"Where's Momma and Daddy?" Ann asked sleepily as she walked into the playroom.

"They aren't our Momma and Daddy, Ann!" Andy yelled. "They are Mr. Spot and Miss Rae."

"STOP SAYING THAT!" Ann shrieked, hysterical. "They are too Momma and Daddy!"

"Momma and Daddy are gone, Ann, 'MEMBER!"

Ann's face reddened as she screamed, "THEY ARE NOT!"

"THEY ARE TOO!" Andy yelled, lunging at his sister.

With an ear-splitting screech, she took off running down the hall.

"What's wrong, Ann?" Spot asked, scooping her up into his arms.

"Andy's being meeeeeaaaaaannnn!" she wailed loudly right in his ear.

Spot winced.  "Quiet down and tell me what happened."

She burst into tears. "He- he's being me-me-meaaaan and he says that you-you-you and m-m-mommy aren't you and m-mommy!"

Spot stroked her hair. How was he supposed to explain this to her?

Just then Rae came from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. "What's wrong with Ann?"

"Andy's telling her we're not her Mommy and Daddy and she doesn't want to hear that."

Rae took Ann into her arms and exchanged a look with Spot. "Come on, Ann.  You come with me while Daddy goes and talks to Andy." Rae said, taking the girl into the kitchen.

She nodded, scrubbing her eyes dry and latched on to Rae while Spot went off in search of Andy.

He found Andy upstairs in the boys' room playing quietly with some toys on the floor.  "What are you doing, little man?" Spot asked, sitting next to him.

"Hiding..." he replied in a very meek voice.

"Who are you hiding from?" Spot asked, picking up one of Andy's blocks and taking a closer look at it.

"You or Miss Rae," he replied, never taking his eyes off the toys before him.

"Why?"

"'Cause..."

"Because why?"

"'Cause I'm gonna be in trouble...."

"What makes you say that, Andy? Did you do something that would get you in trouble?"

He gave Spot a curious look. He had seen Ann run right over to him, screaming and crying... how could he not know what he was in trouble for?

"Answer me, Andy," Spot ordered.

Andy hung his head. "I was mean to Ann and chased her around the house."

"Why did you do that Andy? If she was bothering you, you should have come and found me or Miss Rae."

"She... she... she kept saying you were Momma and Daddy! And you're not them! They're gone!" Tears welled in his eyes. "And she's just a dumb girl anyway!"

"You remember how I told you that she forgot some things because she was really sick?"

Andy nodded, rubbing his nose.

"Well, one of the things that Ann forgot was your Momma and Daddy leaving.  She doesn't remember coming here and she thinks that Miss Rae and I are her Momma and Daddy."

"But that's what I'm trying to tell her, that you aren't. Maybe she'll get her remembery back if I tell her."

"Did it help when you told her?"

He sulked. "No.... But one time it might..."

"Let's just wait a while before we try to tell her again, ok?"

He sighed heavily and nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good. Now I think you need to go tell her that you're sorry."

"Do I HAVE to?" he whined.

Spot nodded and when Andy started to argue with him again, he said, "I think you might regret it later if you keep arguing with me."

With a pout, he walked out of the room and went in search of Ann.

He found her sitting in Rae's lap in the kitchen, sobbing on Rae's shoulder.

Hesitantly, eyeing Rae uncertainly, he crept forward under Spot's watchful eye. "Um... Ann... I'm sorry..."

Ann turned to look at him and sniffled.

"And what are you sorry for?" Spot prodded.

"I'm sorry for being mean to you and chasing you." Andy said, hanging his head.

Ann sniffled again.

Spot nudged the boy forward. "Give her a hug."

He pouted. "Do I have to?"

"What did I tell you about arguing with me?"

Andy pouted and went over to Ann, giving her a brief hug.

"Alright, little man, you can go now." Spot said.

He slunk away fairly quickly.

Ann looked up at Spot, "Why did he say that you ain't Momma and Daddy?"

Spot and Rae exchanged glances. Now what? They both seemed to ask. Spot knelt down in front of Rae and Ann.  "I'm gonna tell you something, but you have to promise not to get mad, alright?"

She gave him an uncertain look. "Oh.. okay..."

"We are not your real Momma and Daddy.  They went away and Miss Rae and I are taking care of you and Andy now."

She stared at them, totally shocked.

"Ann, sweetheart," Rae said, rubbing the girl's back.

Jumping to her feet, she ran from the room, silent as a mouse.

Rae started to follow her, but Spot stopped her. "Let's just give her some time."

"She's hurt, Spot..."

"She still needs time to herself... She probably won't want to see us for a little while."

Rae nodded silently.

He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a hug. "Everything will turn out fine," he murmured into her hair.

Ann ran into Chris on the stairs.  He made her sit on the steps beside him, "What's wrong with you Ann?"

She looked at him with teary eyes. "They aren't Mommy and Daddy!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms, crying.

He stroked her hair.  "They may not be your real Momma and Daddy, but they love you just as much as your real Momma and Daddy did." he whispered.

She whimpered pitifully. "But if they aren't my real mommy and daddy, what happened to them?"

"I don't know, Miss Ann.  Mr. Spot and Miss Rae don't know either."

Sniffling, she clung to him. "I'm scared... I want Momma and Daddy back..."

"I want my Momma and Daddy back too, Ann.  But they are gone just like your parents."

"Why do mommies and daddies go?! They shouldn't be allowed to!" she cried.

"I don't know why they go, but you want to know something?"

"What?" She rubbed her nose dry.

"Mr. Spot and Miss Rae don't have parents either.  Their parents went away when they were little too."

She whimpered again. "Are they gonna come back?"

Chris shook his head. "Once they go away, they can't come back.  That's why Mr. Spot and Miss Rae are taking care of us. They know what it's like not to have any parents."

Her lip quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks again. "What if Mr. Spot and Miss Rae go away too?"

"Then I'll take care of you.  If that's alright with you, Miss Ann.  But I don't think they are going to go away and leave us."

"You promise?"

"I promise," he said, hugging the little girl.

She hugged him back. "Thank you Chris."

"You're welcome, Miss Ann."

* * *

Rae sat up suddenly. "Spot?" she whispered hesitantly.

Smothering a yawn, he rolled over on his side and looked at her frame outlined in the moonlight that filtered through the lacy curtains they had recently hung over the windows for the coming of spring. "Yeah? What's the matter?"

"I heard something," she whispered.

He yawned hugely. "Like what?"

"Like someone moving around," she said. "Up there!" she added, pointing toward the third floor. 

Spot shrugged. "Maybe it's just mice?"

"That was no mouse running across the floor. It sounded like a person walking around up there."

Spot was silent for a moment. "I don't hear anything..."

"I swear I heard something."

The boards overhead made a snapping noise. Quickly, alert now, Spot sat up. Climbing out of bed, he headed for the door. "I'm going to check it out."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Rae grabbed his hand, "Please be careful darling," she whispered.

"I will. I promise. You just sit tight, I'll be back in a moment."

She shook her head and crawled from the bed. "I'm going to check on the children."

"... All right... you be careful too."

He gave her a quick kiss and grabbed the lantern beside the bed and left the room.  Rae slipped on her robe and walked first into the boys' room.  Chris was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Andy had thrown his quilt to the floor and was now huddled in the middle of the bed, trying to stay warm.

Leaning over, she picked up the quilt and carefully draped it over his shoulders, kissing his forehead gently.

With a slight smile on her face she walked into the girls' room.  Ann and Julie shared a bed and Julie now slept with her arms around Ann.  Ann was still recovering from her mysterious illness both mentally and physically.  Physically, she was on the mend, but she had yet to regain the memory of the year that she had lost.  Her mental illness was beginning to take a toll on everyone.

Leaning over, Rae gave each of them a kiss on the head. Satisfied the children were okay, she left the girls' room and, when she saw Spot had not yet returned to their room, decided to find him on her own.

She stopped at the base of the stairs to the third floor.  Taking a deep breath she began to climb the pitch-black staircase. A cry echoed down the hall and she froze, breathing rapidly. Her heart pounded. What was that noise? It sounded as if someone was being killed! "Spot..." Gripping the banister, she kept going. 

Once at the top of the stairs she followed the faint light into one of the tiny rooms.  Spot stood in the doorway staring in shock at a young teenaged girl on the floor.

Hastily, she raced over to him. "Spot Conlon, if you killed her I'll kill you!" she hissed.

"I...I found...her like...that..." he stammered.

"What is she..."

The girl screamed again, interrupting Rae.

"Oh my ... Spot, get out of here!"

"Why? What's going on?"

"She's having a baby! Get out of here!"

Two hours later Spot was still pacing the second-floor hallway, only for the past hour he had been holding Ann.  She had woken up from one of her frequent nightmares and latched onto him, refusing to let go.

When the girl screamed again, Ann screamed with her. "What is that scary noise?!" she wailed.

Spot gently rubbed her back. "There is a girl hurt up there and Miss Rae is trying to help her."

She sniffled and whimpered. "How did she get hurt up there, Daddy?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "Try to go back to sleep."

As he paced a few minutes longer, after Ann had fallen back asleep, miraculously, he noticed that there hadn't been another scream in some time. Was everything fine now?

The minutes ticked by slowly without another sound from the third floor. He continued pacing until he heard a faint creak on the stairs.

He looked towards the stairs quickly. "How'd it go?" he asked as Rae appeared.

"Both the mother and the baby are fine, but the girl doesn't want anything to do with her child." Rae said, looking down at the tiny bundle in her arms.

Shifting Ann from one side to the other, Spot peered at the little bundle. "What is it? A boy or a girl?... And why doesn't she want it?"

"It's a beautiful baby girl.  She wouldn't tell me anything about herself, except that her name is Molly.  She wouldn't even look at her daughter." Rae whispered.

"That's strange... You think that since she was the mother..." Gently, he touched the baby's face.

"She's hiding from something or someone, Spot. I could see it in her eyes."

He glanced at her, smiling resignedly. "Well... I suppose we can suggest she live here. We're growing into a very nice, unusual family."

"That we are," she said with a smile. "But I wouldn't trade any one of them."

"Not at all..." Again he shifted his weight. "Well, shall we go up to see this girl?"

Rae shook her head. "She's sleeping."  She looked at him and reached out with her free hand to brush the hair away from Ann's face. "Another nightmare?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes... She was upset about that girl's screaming too... But somehow she managed to fall asleep."

Rae sighed. "Why don't you try to get some more sleep? No sense in both of us losing a full night's sleep."

"You sleep," he insisted. "Otherwise you'll never wake up tomorrow morning," he teased.

She glared at him, but her eyes softened as she looked back down at the baby.  "I would, but someone needs to sit up with Baby, here."

"I'm not totally useless, you know," he replied with a snort.

"Do you have any experience with newborns?"

"I uh... well... no... Do you?"

She smiled. "More than you.  I used to go help Trent in my spare time.  I helped him deliver a couple of babies."

He snorted but smiled as well. "Well, of course. I should have known." He kissed her forehead. "Well, if you insist... wake me up if you need anything."

"I will." Rae said, heading to the parlor and sitting on the couch.

Spot smiled and left the room as she sat down and rocked back and forth slowly. "What shall we name you, little one?" she asked, stroking the baby's small hand. She vaguely remembered seeing a book about names in the study.  Maybe she could go find something in there. Carefully she stood up, but the baby awoke and began to whimper. "Maybe later," she murmured to herself, sitting back down. She began to hum a lullaby, unaware of the fact that someone was watching her from the darkened hallway.  

Spot smiled and then frowned deeply. 'She's wonderful with kids... and here I am, I can't give her any...' He sighed.  That baby looked so perfect in her arms.  He could see the longing in her eyes for a baby, but there was nothing he could do about that. After a minute or two, he entered the room quietly. "Have you thought of a name?"

"Not yet," she whispered, never taking her eyes from the baby's face.

Slowly, he sat by her. "Is the mother still around?"

"I left her upstairs sleeping."

Spot reached out and stroked the baby's face. "I wish she was ours... I mean, really ours."

Rae sighed and placed her hand on his. "I love you, Spot."

He kissed her hand gently. "I know... I still wish you could have your baby though..."

She placed a finger on his lips. "We've been through this before, Darling."

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "But that still doesn't keep me from wishing it." His reply was a bit muffled sounding because her finger was still on his lips.

She smiled a little. "Come here," she whispered.

He leaned closer.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing him.

He smiled a small smile and kissed her back. "I love you too." Then, with a growing smile, he hovered a hand over the baby's eyes. "She shouldn't be watching this... She's too young."

Rae giggled. "She's sleeping."

"You never know what sleeping eyes can see." He nodded wisely.

"You're..."

"Horrible, I know." She grinned and he kissed her forehead. "But you love me anyway."

"I try," she teased.

"Are we going to keep this little one too, since her mother doesn't want her?" he asked.

"Most likely... if you don't protest."

"Who said I was going to protest? This little thing can't be as much trouble as the others."

"Well, I wasn't sure how many kids you'd want underfoot. Four is a lot already for starting couples."

He shrugged, "Who says we have to be like everyone else?"

She smiled. "I guess that's what makes us so special."

He smiled back at her. "Sure does."

"How about Kendra?"

"Kendra? For what?"

"Her name."

"Who's- oh, the baby's..." Spot looked at the baby and then nodded. "Yes... I think that's a wonderful name."

"Good." she whispered, kissing the baby on the forehead.  She looked up at him, startled. "How are we going to explain this to the others?"

"The stork?" He grinned. She rolled her eyes. He shrugged. "Maybe just tell them what happened."

Rae nodded and looked down at the baby again. "Ann is going to get might jealous of the attention we will have to show Baby Kendra."

"Well... it's just something she'll have to get over."

She looked up at him, "Did Ann say anything to you tonight about what we told her earlier?"

"Well... no... but she still called me Daddy..." 

Just then Kendra woke up crying. "I think she's hungry," Rae said. "But there's nothing I can do about that.  Her mother is just going to have to take care of her for now."

"Do you want me to get her for you?"

"No, I'll take Kendra up there to her."

"Alright, if you insist."

She gave him a quick kiss. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay then, I'll be waiting."

Rae smiled as she left the room and carried the baby upstairs.  She sat on the edge of the girl's bed. "Molly," she said, gently shaking her shoulder.

"What..." the girl muttered gruffly, groping blindly in the air. "Whoz'ere?"

"Your daughter is hungry. I don't care if you don't want to keep her, but you have to feed her right now. That's something I can't do."

Molly struggled to sit up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Wha?" She yawned hugely. "Who're you?"

"You are in my house," Rae snapped, "And I just delivered your baby."

The girl yawned again. "How'm I s'posed to feed it?" She suddenly looked very worried.

Rae rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long night.

~*~

Spot was asleep on the couch when Rae finally came back downstairs with Kendra in her arms. With a smile, she kissed him on the forehead.

He smiled, his eyes still closed. "It's 'bout time you got back."

She smiled. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but I don't mind at all."

Rae kissed him gently. "Well that's good."

"So what took you so long?"

"Molly was being difficult," Rae muttered sitting beside him.

Spot propped himself up. "Kendra's mother? What happened?"

"Molly wants nothing to do with her child. She didn't even remember having her."

"Maybe she came about getting pregnant in an unpleasant way... if you know what I mean..." he suggested.

Rae sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I guess Kendra just reminds me so much of myself," she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"How is that?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"My parents didn't want me, either," she whispered as a single tear rolled down her face.

He kissed the tear away. "Well, now you have someone who does want you."

"And that means more to me than you will ever know," she said as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

He wiped her tears away. "There, there... You'll soak the baby," he teased gently, kissing her.

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder again. "What did I do to deserve a guy like you?"

"You came to Brooklyn. It's all you needed to do... well that, and not take any bull from me."

"There must have been something more."

He grinned. "Mmm, nope. You just kinda got stuck in my heart one day and wouldn't go away, so I figured I'd marry you."

She smiled. "I think it may have been the other way around.  You got stuck in my heart and wouldn't go away."

He grinned. "We're a couple of heart sticky people, I supposed."

She giggled. "I love you, Conlon."

He grinned, kissing the tip of her nose. "I love you more, Conlon."

"That's questionable."

"No, I'm afraid it isn't. Spot Conlon is never questionable." His grin turned impish.

"I beg to differ."

"Mm, beg away, missy."

She grabbed the front of his shirt with her free hand and pulled him closer. "I will," she said, kissing him.

He laughed. "Don't squish the baby now."

"I won't," she whispered, kissing him again.

He kissed her back. "Good."

"Convinced yet?" she asked.

"Mmm, not quite. It may take a lot more convincing." 

She stood and headed for the door. "I'm going to find a cradle to put Kendra in."

He nodded. "Hurry back this time." He stood and kissed her cheek.

"Why don't you come help me?"

"Mm, better idea." With another nod, he followed her.

Rae stopped at the top of the stairs. "I think I remember seeing one in the closet in that room," she said, nodding toward the empty room.

Heading into the room, he opened the closet and pulled out a rickety old cradle. "This?"

"That's it.  Bring it into our room and we can pad it with some of those extra quilts."

With a grunt, he hefted it up and followed her out of the room. "Good grief, this thing weighs a ton."

"They are supposed to be sturdy."

"Well yes, but they shouldn't be so heavy."

She merely smiled at him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he finally set it down. Grabbing a handful of quilts, he carefully arranged them in the cradle and stepped back so Rae could set Kendra in it.

Rae knelt beside the cradle and placed the baby inside.  She gently rubbed the baby's cheek. "How could someone not want this tiny bundle of perfection?"

He shrugged and sat next to her. "Who knows?"

"It's just not right."

"No," he agreed, "it isn't." She leaned against him and sighed. He kissed her forehead. "Come, let's get to bed... something tells me we're going to be busy tomorrow."

She nodded and leaned down to kiss the baby's forehead.

Taking Rae's hand, he led her to bed.

* * *

Spot was pulled from a deep sleep by an unfamiliar sound.  He rolled over and listened for a moment, before sitting up suddenly. That was a baby crying! He frowned. What was he supposed to do? ... Get the girl, yes... The girl was her mother, the girl would have to take care of the crying until she wasn't dependant on the mother quite so much...

He ran up the stairs two at a time and knocked on the door of the room where he had found her the night before.  When there was no answer he opened the door. She wasn't there! He swore under his breath. Regardless of whether or not the brat wanted the baby, she still had SOME responsibility for her. "MOLLY!" he yelled, storming through the attic. He searched through all the rooms with no luck.

Down the stairs he headed, and entered his and Rae's room again. Shaking her shoulder briefly, he said in a sharp voice, "Rae, wake up." Kendra was screaming now. She rolled over toward him but still didn't wake up.  With a sigh, he bent down and kissed her. With a groan, she awoke, rubbing her eyes drowsily. Spot managed to smile. "Wake up Sleeping Beauty, guess who's gone."

Rae sat up suddenly. "If I ever get my hands on that girl..."

"You and me both... though I doubt either of us will get the chance..."

Rae jumped from the bed and ran over to the cradle.  She picked up Kendra and tried to quiet the screaming baby.

Spot peered over her shoulder. "I'm sorry I had to wake you... I didn't know what I was supposed to do... what ARE we supposed to do?"

"I don't know"

Kendra screamed on.

Rae began to pace the room, gently rocking the baby.  She sent Spot a helpless look.

"Maybe she needs to be changed?"

Rae nodded and set Kendra on the bed.  

"Do you need a clean diaper? What do you use for diapers, anyway?"

"I cut up a sheet last night....but I left the others upstairs."

"I suppose I can rescue it for you."

"Please?"

"Be right back."

Rae picked up the baby and tried to comfort her while she waited on Spot.  When he returned she quickly changed Kendra, but she kept screaming.

"Hungry, maybe?"

"Maybe... but what do we feed her?" Rae scowled. "Molly left!"

"Can't you do something?" Spot asked.

"I'm trying to think of something!" she snapped.

Just then four bodies came stumbling sleepily through the door.

"What's all that crying?" Julie inquired.

"Yeah, I heard it all the way down the hall," Chris added.

"What is it?" Ann and Andy asked simultaneously.

Rae looked at Spot, hoping that he would explain.

With a sigh, he turned to them. "Everyone, meet Kendra, the new addition to the family."

"I didn't know Rae was pregnant," Chris commented.

"She wasn't, muttonhead... was she?" Julie asked.

"No... There was a girl hiding out in the house... she left Kendra with us."

"Can I see?" Julie asked, creeping closer.

"If you can get close enough to the screaming... She's upset for some reason..."

Julie backed away. "I think I'll pass until she settles down."

"Good plan," Rae replied, sitting on the bed, bouncing just slightly.

"Why is she screaming like that?" Chris asked.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Spot replied.

"Is she hungry?" Julie asked.

"Probably, but we don't know what to feed her... Her mother up and left us!"

Spot turned to Chris. "Go into town and find a doctor.  Maybe he would have some ideas."

"Uh... where would I find a doctor?"

"Uh, ask one of the townspeople?" Spot rolled his eyes.

"Oh...right," Chris said, darting out the door.  Two minutes later he came running back in.  "I found this on the doorstep." he said, holding out a bottle of milk.

Both Rae and Spot's brows hiked up. This was getting weirder and weirder.

"Hand it here," Rae snapped. Chris gave her a startled look and did as told. Rae was shocked, yet pleased when Kendra stopped crying and began to drink the milk.

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief, and Spot gently sat beside her. "Now we hope that it doesn't make her sick."

Rae nodded.  "I sure hope she doesn't get sick."

"Does anyone know anything about doctoring babies? Like, what will make them sick and all?" Spot asked.

Chris and Julie shook their heads.  "I don't know too much," Rae admitted.

"I guess we'll just have to wing it then, hmm?"

"I suppose," she said.  "Spot, I'm getting a little hungry myself, do you think you can go fix something to eat?"

"Of course I can. Come on, I'll need some help," he said to the kids. He didn't really, but it got a couple of them out of the room and out of Rae's hair.

Rae smiled down at the baby.  There was no way that she was going to let this little thing go through the same things that she did.

Spot whipped up some eggs that Rae had bought, grumbling under his breath when he noticed the girl that had been an unknown guest for a few days had taken more food with her, and buttered up some bread, feeding the children, and then taking some up to Rae.

He found her sitting on the floor beside the cradle, staring down at the baby.  "That brat took more food with her when she left."

She scowled. "If I find that girl I will soak her 'til she can't walk."

"Only after I finish soaking her," Spot said, handing Rae the plate of food.

She smirked, thanking him. "That kid will be a mess when we're done with her... Not that she isn't a mess already... Mm, good eggs."

"Thanks.  Umm...Rae...are you sure we are ready to handle taking care of a baby...I mean the twins are one thing...but a newborn..."

"I am NOT sending this child to an orphanage."

He nodded.  "If that's what you want, then we won't send her to an orphanage."

"That's what I want..."

"Alright.  We'll manage somehow."

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you Spot..." She looked down at the baby. "We WILL manage."

"She's sleeping...why don't you come downstairs with the rest of us?"

Giving Kendra one last look, she gently placed her in the cradle and followed Spot. When they entered the kitchen they found only Chris and Julie finishing up their breakfasts.  "Where are the twins?" Rae asked.

"They went to the playroom," Julie answered.

Spot and Rae glanced towards the playroom and shrugged. "At least they're getting along again," Spot muttered with a slight yawn.

"Why don't you go take a nap, darling? I can handle things on my own."

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

"If you say so. I'm going to the study.  To see if I can try to discover the mystery of this house."

Spot nodded. "All right then... We'll clean up... Chris, Julie."

They both nodded as Rae headed toward the study.  She sat down at the desk and opened the bottom drawer that had held all the money. It was empty now, since they had placed all the money in a bank for safekeeping, but she noticed something that she had never noticed before. It looked like a small switch.

Immensely curious, she walked over and touched it. A board fell to the floor under the drawer.  The drawer had a false bottom.  Rae knelt next to the drawer and moved the piece of wood.  On the wood lay a small book. Lifting a brow, even more curious, she sat down in a nearby chair and opened the book gingerly.

The pages were filled with hand-written notes.  It appeared to be a journal of some sort. Rae flipped to the first page and squinted at the sloppily written words, slowly beginning to read. An hour later she was still reading, so intrigued by the story unfolding before her that she didn't notice when Spot walked in with the baby.

With a smile, he leaned over her shoulder. "What have you got there?"

"It's some kind of journal that I found hidden away."

"Who wrote it?"

"The owners of this house, but the dates are in the 50s."

"That's some pretty old stuff." Sitting, he gave her Kendra.

She handed him the book and took the baby.  "This house was used as a part of the underground railroad."

"All the way up here in New York?"

"According to the book, when the Fugitive Slave Law went into effect it was illegal to help slaves run away, and their masters could chase them up here and take them back home, so the underground railroad took them all the way to Canada."

"Wow... Sure that ain't a textbook?" he kidded.

"The entries in that journal are very detailed."

Spot picked the book up and flipped through a couple of pages. "Wow... how can you read this?" He turned it upside down and sideways. "Very tight writing."

She laughed.  "I told you that I used to help Trent after I sold my papers...his handwriting is much worse."

Nodding, he handed her the book again. "Then I trust your reading skills."

"This journal was written by the lady of the house. She hid the runaways without her husband even knowing about it."

"Wow." He nodded his approval. "Wonder what he would have done had he found out?"

"They were newly married.  It was an arranged marriage, so she says she has no idea how he would react were he to find out."

"Does it say their names?" He shifted his weight and sat next to Rae, peering over her shoulder.

Rae opened the book again, and carefully turned a few of the pages. "It hasn't given any names yet. She always refers to him as 'My husband'."

"Well, that tells us what she thinks of him at the moment..."

"Well, I can relate, I mean, her husband is a perfect stranger."

"Oh... yeah, that's true."

"She hasn't yet said, how she managed to hide them from him, but I'm guessing there was some kind of hidden room in the house somewhere."

"We ought to find it one day, when we have the free time."

"Maybe if we keep reading, she'll tell us where it is."

He smiled at her. "But that defeats the purpose of it."

She smiled back at him and quickly kissed him before turning back to the book.

Wrinkling his nose, he said, "Aww, you're no fun."

"Well, I'm trying to balance a baby and a book in my arms," she teased.

He took Kendra from her. "There." Then he grinned.

She leaned toward him again, but dropped her head and kissed the baby's forehead, instead.

"Hmm... lucky kid..."

Rae smirked at him. "Alright," she laughed, leaning over to kiss him again.

Spot grinned, kissing her back. "That's more like it."

 "At least she doesn't protest every time we kiss."

Just then Kendra whimpered a bit. Spot grinned. "You were saying?"

Rae snickered and took the baby from him.  "I think she's getting hungry."

"Is there any milk left?"

"I don't think so."

Spot frowned. "Ah... well..." There was a knock on the door.  "Come in," he yelled.

Cautiously, Chris entered the room. "Uh.... you might want to see this..."

"What is it?" Rae asked, curiously, shifting Kendra in her arms.

He just shook his head, stunned. "You'll have to see it... you won't believe it..."

Spot stood and helped Rae up.  "Where is it?"

"In the barn..." Chris turned on his heel and led them out the door, out of the house, and to the barn. A distinct sound came from the barn.

"Is that a cow?" Rae asked.

"If it just went moo, then I think it's a cow..." Spot replied, astonished, walking hesitantly in the barn. And there stood a brown and golden colored heifer. Rae's and Spot's jaws dropped.

"Spot, that is a cow! That is a cow! How did it get here?!"

"I didn't see anyone out here," Chris said.  "It just showed up."

"Cows just don't 'poof!' into someone's barn!"

"This one did."

Spot walked over to the cow and touched it tentatively. He was positively afraid of that cow! Not that anyone could blame him. The cow turned her sleepy black eyes on Spot and blinked slowly, mooing. He jumped causing Rae and Chris to snicker. Spot glared at them halfheartedly, looking at the cow again. Leaning against the stall door, he asked, "So cow... how did you get here?" The cow mooed again.  "Very interesting," Spot said, rubbing his chin and studying the cow seriously.

Rae and Chris exchanged glances and laughed.

Spot turned to them, "Cow doesn't know how it got here."

"Mm... I didn't think it would," Rae replied, smiling. "Chris, do you know how to milk this thing?"

Chris blinked at her. "Uh... I... I don't know... I haven't milked a cow in... years."

"Could you give it a try?"

"She.... she might kick me..."

"But you've milked a cow before. That's more than either of us have."

"I... I guess I could try..." He scavenged the barn for a bucket. Finding one, and dusting it out, he entered the stall slowly, talking softly to the cow, sitting next to her. After a moment the only sound in the barn was the milk hitting the bucket. The cow mooed and looked at him, blinking slowly, and chewing straws of hay that stuck out of her mouth partly.

Pleased to have the milk problem solved, Rae turned and took the baby back inside.

Spot leaned over the edge of the stall, watching Chris milk the cow. "You'll have to teach me that."

Chris smirked up at him. "Sure thing, cause I ain't doing this no more."

"You will if I say you will." Spot's lip quirked and he looked at the cow again. "I guess we'll have to name her too."

"Bessie," Chris said.

"Is that a cow name? I wouldn't know, I ain't ever seen a cow up close before."

Chris laughed, "Yeah, that's a cow name. At least that's what we called our cow."

"Then Bessie it is."

"SPOT!" came Rae's distressed cry from the kitchen door.

Frowning, he left Chris to finish the milking and ran into the house. "What? What's the matter?"

"I can't find the twins!"

"Are you sure? Did you look all over?"

"I looked everywhere. They aren't in the house."

Walking out of the kitchen, Spot bellowed, "Ann! Andy! Game's over! Come out right now!" but no one showed up. Rae stepped up beside him. "Do you think they found the underground place?" he suggested uncertainly.

"I sure hope not," Rae said.  "Ann, sweetheart, please answer me!"

"Andy! I'm not kidding! Come out right now!"

They searched all the rooms in the house, looking for the two missing children, as well as a sign of any hidden places.  "They aren't here Spot!" Rae said.

"Okay now, calm down... Maybe they went outside to play."

"They would have told us, Spot, they know better than that."

"Well... you know how kids are... sometimes they DON'T know better.... it can't hurt to look..."

Kendra began screaming as Chris entered the house with the milk.  Rae sighed, "I have to feed her."

Gently, Spot put his hands on her shoulders and eased her into a chair. "Relax.... Just concentrate on feeding her first.... I'll go outside to look for them."

"Who?" Chris asked.

"The twins."

"Where's Julie?"

Spot and Rae exchanged glances and Spot ran into the living room. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her fast asleep on the couch. "Well... at least that's ONE less worry." He walked back into the kitchen, "She's asleep on the couch. Chris, come help me look for the twins outside."

Chris nodded. "Yes sir." And the two of them headed outside.

"Where could they be, Kendra?" Rae asked the baby as she fed her. She just blinked at Rae innocently.

* * *

"My feet hurt, Andy," Ann whined as they walked down the dirt road.

"Well it was your great idea to run away... And now it's getting dark...."

"I want to go home," she whimpered.

Andy looked around.  "We walked through the woods some, and I don't know where we are."

"Well YOU wanted to walk through the woods... Now we're lost forever and ever!"

Just then a buggy came rattling down the road. "Isn't that the man that took us home?" Andy asked.

Ann shrugged. "I dunno.... How'm I supposed to know?"

"Hey, Mister!" Andy yelled, waving his arms

The carriage slowed and a head peered out. "Aren't you two out a little late?"

"We're lost," Ann whimpered.

"You kids have any parents?"

Andy shook his head, but Ann nodded.

The man smiled, shifting his weight. "Well, which is it?"

"Our real parents went away," Andy said.

"But Mr. Spot and Miss Rae are our new Momma and Daddy," Ann said.

"Is that so? Did Mr. Spot and Miss Rae adopt you?"

Andy scratched his head thoughtfully and then finally shook it. "No, I don't think so."

"Very interesting... Would you kids like a ride home?"

Ann nodded eagerly. "Please mister?"

"I don't know Ann..." Andy began.

"Pleeeeassse Andy? I'm so tired!" she whined.

Andy looked at the man again and then back to his sister. "Alright Annie, he can give us a ride."

The man smiled and helped them into his carriage, snapping the reins lightly over his horses' back. The carriage jolted into motion. Ann leaned her head against Andy's shoulder.  He reached up and felt her forehead as he had often seen Miss Rae do.  "You feel warm, Annie."

"No I don't 'cause I'm cold..." She yawned and closed her eyes.

Andy shrugged off his little jacket and wrapped it around her.

The man smiled at them. "You two sure are sweet kids... brother and sister?"

"Twins," Andy answered with a yawn.

"Oh ho, not everyday you run across a pair of twins now, is it?"

Sleepily, they shrugged.

"Why don't you kids get some sleep, I'll have you home soon."

"No, we're awake," Andy protested, but Ann was already asleep and he was dozing off quickly after.

The man laughed quietly.  "Get some sleep kid, you've had a rough day."

And immediately, Andy zonked out.

The man smiled down at them as the carriage rattled onward, but little did the sleeping twins know, that the carriage was not headed home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

"You guys need to get some sleep," Chris commented over breakfast the next morning. It was obvious they hadn't slept a wink the previous night and were staring bleary eyed over their scrambled eggs.

"Finding the twins comes before sleep." Rae said.  She dropped her fork onto her plate with a loud clang.  "I can't eat either."

Spot reached over and handed her the fork again. "Eat," he ordered simply.

"I can't," she said, pushing the plate toward him.  "I'm too worried."

"I know you are... So am I. But you have to eat."

She turned and glared at him.  "They are out there without any food. I'm not eating until we find them."

"You're not going to be able to find them without food or sleep! Get one of them!" he ordered, matching her glare. She stood and walked from the room. Rising to his feet, he followed her.  He caught her in the hall and pulled her into the study.

"Rae, I don't want to get into yet another fight with you, but you HAVE to do something for yourself... Sleep, eat, SOMETHING to keep you going..."

"Spot, they are out there lost, cold, starving and scared to death.  I can't go sleep in that nice warm bed, or eat that food.  If I try I see their little faces."

"Don't you think the same thing happens to me, Rae? You're just going to have to force yourself to do it." 

"How could we let this happen, Spot?" she asked, burying her face in her hands and sobbing.

He squeezed her tight. "We didn't let it happen, it just did... We didn't know it COULD happen."

She wrapped her arms around him and continued to sob. "Maybe we can't do this. Maybe we should just take Kendra to an orphanage."

"No way missy. You wanted to keep this baby, and we're going to keep her and raise her right. And we're going to find Ann and Andy," he assured her.

"What if we don't?  What if they aren't even..."

He kissed her quickly to shut her up. "Don't even think it."

She buried her head in his chest and continued to cry. "It's all I can think about, Spot."

"Shh," he hushed soothingly, stroking her hair.

He led her over to the couch and sat her down beside him.  "It's going to be alright. We'll find them.  I promise." he whispered.

She just hung onto him, crying.

"Take a nap," he suggested. "You're tired. Chris and Julie and I will go out and look for them."

"Kendra going to wake up hungry soon.  I have to stay awake to take care of her."

He kissed her forehead. "Leave that to me... I'll let Julie stay and take care of her. She did a wonderful job when we were all sick... I'm sure she'll do just fine now. Now go to sleep before I knock you out myself."

"Spot, will you hold me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course." He put his arms around her and scooted to the end of the couch so she was lying out.

"I love you, Spot," she said with a yawn.

"I love you too Rae... Now get some sleep." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She snuggled closer to him and was instantly asleep. Spot held onto Rae for a few minutes longer, deeply worried the twins. Where WERE they?

* * *

Ann woke slowly and rolled over to move closer to Julie for warmth, but ending up on the floor.  She sat up suddenly.  Where was she? Where was Julie?  Who were all this strange people? Where were Miss Rae and Mr. Spot?  Ann whimpered and began to cry loudly. Slowly, the people around her woke up. Young girls like her looked at her sleepily. Some began to cry as well. Some of the older girls began to laugh at her, which only made her cry harder. "I want my Momma and Daddy," she whimpered, as huge tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You ain't got a momma and daddy, that's why you're here," one of the older girls replied. 

"But I do got a Momma and a Daddy.  Miss Rae and Mr. Spot are my momma and daddy.  Where am I?" she whimpered.

"This is an orphanage kiddo," one of the nicer older girls replied. "And you're only here if you don't got parents."

Ann wiped away her tears. "Where's Andy?"

"Who's that?"

"Her boyfriend?"

"She's too little to have a boyfriend, you dolt!"

Ann sniffled and wiped her nose. "Andy's my brother."

"Oh, he's probably in the boys' room," the nice girl explained.

"Can I go see him?" Ann asked.

The girl shook her head. "I'm sorry, kid, we ain't allowed to see the boys."

"But... but how will he know I'm safe?... I want to see Andy!"

"You can't.  We get a beating if we go over there."

She stared at the girl fearfully. "Why do they do that?"

"Because it's against the rules."

"But... but..."

"Get up off the floor, get dressed and make your bed. They'll be coming in for inspection soon."

She stared at the girl, terrified and confused.

"Do you want a beating?" the girl asked.

"No!" she squeaked, jumping to her feet.

"Then put that uniform on," she said, pointing to the gray dress hanging on the end of the bed, "and make your bed."

Scrambling over to the dress, still completely terrified, Ann wriggled into the dress and made her bed.

The older girl came back over and tucked the old gray woolen blanket a little bit tighter.  She held out her hand to Ann, "Come on, we have to go downstairs for inspection and if we are late we won't get any breakfast."

She latched tightly onto the girl's hand and followed her down the stairs.

* * *

"Wake up, kid!"

Andy woke to the harsh voice of someone who was roughly shaking him.

With a startled cry, Andy began struggling against whoever was shaking him. "Lemme go! Lemme go, muttonhead!" he yelled, borrowing a term he had heard Chris and Julie exchange frequently.

"Get up and get dressed." the voice said, roughly.

His eyes popped open and he was looking at a boy around Julie's age, with a mop of red hair and bitter green eyes. "Who... who are you?"

"Pat.  Unless you like getting beat, then I suggest you get out of bed and get dressed."

Andy quickly scrambled into action, looking around uncertainly. "What is this place? That man in the carriage said he was taking me and Ann back home... and this isn't home..."

"It's the Pleasant Valley Orphanage, kid.  Welcome to your new home."

He stared at Pat. "O... Orphanage?.... But Ann and I have a mommy and daddy..."

"Not if you're here."

"But... but!" he scowled. "Stupid Ann! I TOLD her we shouldn't ride with that man."

Pat looked at him, questioningly. "Who's Ann?"

"My sister.... we're twins."

Pat nodded.  "Well, you can just forget about her. You won't be seeing her again."

He gave him a startled look. "Why not? She's my sister... Why can't I see her?"

"We boys are in one building and the girls are in another."

"But she's gonna be scared! She gets scared a lot, you know... I have to protect her!"

"There is nothing you can do, kid.  Let's go or we'll be late."

Andy frowned deeply and followed Pat.

* * *

Chris followed Spot as they searched the woods surrounding the house again.  "Where could they be?" Chris asked.

"I don't know... I have no idea... I mean, how far could two five year olds get in a day?"

"We've searched the woods in all directions half a mile from the house.  They aren't here, Spot."

"I KNOW that," he snapped. "What I'm trying to figure out is WHERE they could have gone, and I don't know!" He stomped his foot in frustration and sat on a tree stump.

"I want to know whose bright idea it was to leave."

"Who knows..." He shrugged. "Who cares? I just want those kids standing right here before me, right now."

"It's starting to get dark, Spot. We need to head back. What's Rae gonna say when we don't have them with us?"

"I don't know what she's going to say... There are a million things she could say..."

Chris sighed. "Tonight is going to be an unpleasant one."

Spot nodded in agreement. "If that ain't the truth..." He sighed and stood up. "Come on... let's go back."

Chris sent him a look, "Do we HAVE to go back?"

"Yes... Do you realize what Rae would do if WE didn't go back as well?"

Chris sighed. "I guess you're right. Let's go."

Spot motioned for him to come along and together they returned to the house. 

Rae was pacing the porch with a Kendra, who was tightly bundled in a blanket to keep away the cool night air. Where were they? Shouldn't they be back by now? So help her, if they turned up missing, she'd kill Spot! Kendra whimpered and Rae shifted the baby.  "It's alright sweetheart." Movement across the grass, near the edge of the woods caught her attention and she stared at it until she could make out two forms crossing towards the house. As quickly as she could, she gave Kendra to Julie, who was sitting at her side, and ran across the yard to meet them.

"Did you find them?" she asked, as she ran toward them.

Slowly, Spot shook his head, holding up his hands to catch her before she plowed into them. "No... no, we didn't."

"How far did you look? Spot, they have to be out there somewhere. Children just don't disappear."

"We looked about as far as we assumed two children could get during a day. All through the woods... up and down the road in either direction... they weren't found..." Before she could say anything he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Chris groaned and went to join Julie on the porch.

Taking a deep breath, Rae began crying, beating him on the chest with her fist. "Find them, find them, find them!" 

He pulled her closer so that she couldn't move. "I'm trying, Darling, I'm trying."

"Well you're not trying hard enough! They're out there, they have to be!" She rested her head on his shoulder, slipping her arms around his neck. "Why us? Why them?"

"I don't know, Rae," he said, stroking her hair. "But we WILL find them."

"I want them back now," she sniffled.

"I know, Baby, I want them back now too. I would give anything to have them back with us."

"What are we going to do? Where else is there to look?"

"I have no idea."

After a long pause, she asked, "You... don't think they somehow got to town, do you?"

"Unless they got a ride, I doubt it.  Ann's pretty scared of strangers."

"Ann's scared of everything, but they managed to runaway-.... Spot... what if they left because they didn't like us? I mean... I spanked Ann a couple of times and she was almost afraid of me... Do they hate us? Do they hate me?"

"Shh.  They don't hate us. They don't hate you.  Ann wasn't afraid of you, remember those nights she woke up screaming for you?"

"But there has to be a reason they left. What else could there be?"

"Who knows, Rae.  But once we find them, we'll find out."

"IF we find them," she murmured.

He tilted her head so that she was looking him in the eye. "We WILL find them."

She looked at him for a moment longer and then shifted her weight. "We'd better get back inside. It's cold and you, Chris, and Julie must be hungry..."

He made her look at him again, "Did you eat anything today?" he asked, sternly.

"I slept. You said one or the other."

"I want you to eat something now."

She frowned. "You should talk... you didn't sleep either and I don't think you ate much of anything."

"I'm going to go eat right now. And you are going to eat too, if I have to feed you myself."

With a sigh, she nodded her consent. "All right... I'll try to eat something... It may not be much, but it'll be something."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you."

"Spot?" she asked, as he buried his face in her hair.

"Hmm?" He arched his brows inquisitively and looked at her.

"Kendra's sick. I think it's the cow's milk.  She's been spitting it up all day and she's been cranky."

"I thought babies drank milk.... What's the difference?"

"I don't know.  I guess the cow's milk is too strong for her stomach."

Spot frowned. "Well.... what are we going to do? I mean... if we can't feed her the milk... and I don't think babies eat anything else, do they?"

She shook her head.  "I don't know what to do, Spot."

His frown deepened. "Well.... we may as well keep giving her the milk because we can't starve her to death..."

"She's not drinking any of it, Spot. She spits all right back up.  I think we should take her to the doctor in the morning."

He nodded, leading her into the house. "That we shall... or one of us should while the other one continues the search."

Rae took the baby from Julie, who scampered off to go set the table.

Spot touched the miserable infant's cheek. "If only your stupid mother hadn't run off..."

Rae looked up at him, "Spot, please don't talk about Molly like that in front of her.  We may not be happy with Molly, but Kendra will never know that if I can help it."

"She doesn't even understand what I'm saying."

She gave him a look.

"All right, all right.."

She placed her free hand gently on his scarred cheek, "Thank you." He grumbled but gave her a half smile. She leaned up and gently kissed him. "Come on, we are going to feed you and then you are going to bed, mister."

"Me? YOU'RE the one who needs to eat some." But he followed her anyway because his stomach was growling viciously.

"Where's Chris?" Rae asked as they walked into the kitchen.

"He went to milk the cow." Julie answered.

Spot smiled. "He's turning out okay after all."

"Sit," Rae ordered. "I'll fix you something to eat."

"Mm, no... I want to be in there, watching- and helping. I want to see you snacking on little bits of dinner before you eat."

"I wanted you to hold Kendra, while I fixed your dinner."

"Oh, I'll hold her... I'm just going to watch and be your peanut gallery." He smiled.

"Fine," she smiled, carefully handing the baby to him.

Spot shifted Kendra in his arms carefully and followed Rae into the kitchen.

"We need to find another cradle," Rae said, while fixing dinner.  "That way we can have one for down here and leave the other one up in our room."

"Maybe Chris the carpenter can build us one."

She smiled at him over her shoulder, "Maybe you can help him."

"Mm, maybe... I almost smashed my thumb off helping him build that tree house back on who-knows-where island."

She laughed, "Wish I could have been there to see that.  Bet you were cursing up a storm."

He smiled. "Then it's a good thing you weren't, because you wouldn't have been pleased to hear me say all of it."

"It's not like I haven't heard you say stuff like that before."

"Oh, but you haven't." He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "So, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Just some sandwiches.  I didn't think anyone would want a lot to eat."

He managed to laugh briefly. "Safe choice, my dear."

The back door flew open and Chris came stumbling in.  "There's.....there's...there's a....."

"A what?" Rae asked.

"Another cow?" Spot only half-kidded.

"No.... a... a.. girl! A girl! In the barn! And... and... she's..." He made a face. "She's really sick... I mean... really...." He made retching motions.

Spot handed the baby to Julie and took off running out the door, Rae close on his heels.

"Is there something about us that just attracts strangers to us?" he asked, entering the barn. He stopped short when he saw the girl in the barn. "You!"

Rae gasped at the sight of the girl who had caused them so much trouble in the last few days.   She pushed Spot aside and knelt next to Molly. "How long have you been here?" she asked, pulling the ill girl up to a sitting position.

She winced.

Molly groaned and her head rolled to the side as sweat dripped down her face.

"Is she having another baby?" Chris asked.

"No," Rae answered,  "She shouldn't have tried to run away so soon after having Kendra.  She shouldn't have even gotten out of bed for a few more days."

Molly moaned and threw up a little in the hay. Chris made a face and retreated. "I'm outta here."

Rae turned to Spot, "Carry her inside for me. We can't leave her out here any longer."

Spot scowled very slightly and scooped the girl up. "If you weren't sick little girl, I'd soak you," he muttered, though it was likely Molly didn't hear him.

He followed Rae into the house and up the stairs.  He set her on the bed in the spare room.

Molly groaned and rolled onto her side, curling up tightly and shivering.

Rae turned to Spot, "Go get one of my nightgowns and some more quilts."

He nodded and disappeared from the room.

Rae sat on the edge of the bed, "Why did you leave, Molly?"

She turned her bleary eyes on Rae. "I can't stay," she croaked.

"You have to Molly.  You can barely hold your head up right now.  Besides there is a newborn baby downstairs who needs you."

She shook her head slowly, murmuring "no, no... no baby... they'll be mad... no baby..."

"Shh!  Molly, you have no choice.  You are the only one who can feed that baby."

She tossed her head back and forth a few more times before slipping into a restless sleep.

There was a soft knock at the door as Spot entered the room.

"How's our new, particularly infuriating patient?" he asked, handing Rae the nightgown and setting the blankets at the foot of the bed.

"Sleeping right now," Rae said, "She's got a pretty high fever."

"How long do you think she was there?"

"I'm hoping that she's been there since she took off, but I don't think that's the case.  She probably tried to make it back into town, but got turned around and ended up back in our barn."

"Do you think she could have seen the twins?" 

"It's a possibility," Rae said.  She turned to him, "Go get something to eat and then get some sleep.  You were up all night last night."

"So were you. I'm not going to sleep until I see you eat something."

"I've got to stay here with Molly."

"Then I'm bringing you something. And you WILL eat it."

"Fine. Now get," she said, pushing him toward the door, "I have to get Molly out of those filthy clothes."

He nodded. "I'll be back in a few."

She kissed his scarred cheek.  "I love you."

"That's no way to kiss me." He tilted her chin and kissed her lips. "I love you too... and I'll love you more when you eat." He smiled and headed off to the kitchen. She smiled and shook her head as she turned back to Molly.  She changed Molly out of her clothes and into the nightgown, before tucking the extra quilts around her.  One good way to get rid of a fever was to sweat it out.

She sat next to the bed, waiting for Spot, wondering what possessed this girl to behave in the odd ways she was behaving. Spot returned several minutes later with two sandwiches.

"Don't trust me, Conlon?" Rae asked with a grin.

"Not quite," he teased, kissing her cheek and placing a sandwich in her hand.

She took a bite as he pulled a chair over beside the bed.

"So, do you think I ought to run for a doctor?" He nodded towards Molly.

"Not right away.  If she gets any worse, I'll let you go."

Nodding, Spot took a huge bite from his sandwich.

"Spot, why do you think she ran?"

He took a moment to swallow and shrugged. "From us you mean?"

"Yes."

"I don't know... Maybe there's a deeper reason why she didn't want Kendra... or maybe she thought we would turn her in to ... whoever she was hiding from."

"I just wish I knew."

"We'll ask once she's feeling better."

Rae nodded. "I'm going to sit up with her tonight, but I'm going to leave Kendra in our room, just in case Molly has something that she can catch."

Spot nodded. "All right. I guess that's my cue to leave. Love you... try to get a little sleep tonight, okay?"

She stood and followed him to the door.  "I love you, Spot."

He hugged her. "Don't make YOURSELF sick, okay? Sleep tight...."

He turned to leave, but she caught his arm, "You aren't going to get off that easy, mister."

He smiled. "And what does that mean?"

"I expect a good-night kiss."

"Is that so?"

She nodded. "That IS so."

He chuckled and gave her a warm kiss. "Goodnight sweetheart."

"Goodnight, love."

He left the room and went to bed.

Rae sighed and walked back over to Molly.  "First you disappear, then the twins, then you show up again sick. Nothing better happen to those two."

* * *

The next morning, Spot woke up to the sounds of nothing. Sitting up slowly, he glanced over to find Kendra peacefully asleep- something he didn't expect, but grateful for it. Stifling a yawn, he climbed out of bed and headed upstairs to where Rae and Molly were. Rae was curled up in a wing-backed chair beside the bed, sound asleep, a book about to fall from the hand that was hanging over the edge of the chair. He smiled, pleased that she had actually slept, and went over to take the book from her hand, kissing her forehead gently. She stirred slightly and nearly tumbled from the chair.

Catching her arm, he helped steady her. "Easy, easy."

"What time is it?" she whispered, settling herself back in the chair.

"It's about 8:30," he whispered in reply, setting her book aside.

She nodded and then grinned up at him, "How about holding me while no one is awake to protest?"

He laughed quietly, sitting next to her and slipping his arms around her waist. "I think I can do that. We need more time like this, don't you think?"

"Yep."

"How did everything go last night?"

"I had to wake her up a couple of times to feed Kendra, but for the most part she slept.  I think her fever broke early this morning."

"That's my little doctor," he said with a smile, kissing her.

She smiled, "That was nice.  How about another one?"

"Can't argue with that... doctor's orders," he teased, kissing her again.

"Hmm....I may have to order that more often," she said, leaning to kiss him.

"Maybe you will."

She snuggled up in his arms. "I miss them, Spot," she whispered, as tears filled her eyes.

"Shh," he whispered, stroking her hair gently. "I know you do. I do too."

"Do you think we'll ever find them? Honestly?"

He nodded. "Yes. Honestly. There isn't far two five year olds could go. They have to be somewhere in this town. No train would ever let them board by themselves.... and I doubt they'd think to jump one either." Her shoulders began to shake as tears silently rolled down her cheeks. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back soothingly. "Everything will be fine," he whispered.

"I want to believe you, Spot, I really do, I just can't."

"I know... it's okay."

"Spot, I know you told me not to think about it, but what if something did happen to them?"

"Then we'll just have to pray we'll find them before something worse happens."

"I don't know what I would do if we lost them forever."

He hugged her tightly. "Don't think of it."

She sighed and buried her head in the fabric of his shirt. He kissed the top of her head and remained silent. They heard the faint sound of Kendra's crying from their room across the hall.

"So much for quiet," Rae muttered, as she stood.

Spot smiled. "It's okay. It's what we're gonna have to get used to.. and learn to take advantage of the quiet time when we have it."

She bent down and gave him another quick kiss.  "If you go get Kendra, I'll wake Molly."

"Sounds like a plan."

Rae walked over to the bed, "Come on, Molly," she said, gently shaking the girl. "It's time to feed Kendra again."

"Uzzah...." Molly rolled over to face Rae with a groan. "Can't I sleep?" she murmured, struggling to sit up.

"Nope, you are the only one who can feed that baby."

Molly groaned again. "This ain't fair... I'm so tired..."

"It's your own fault, Molly girl.  You shouldn't have run off so soon after Kendra was born."

Molly wrinkled her nose and pushed herself further up as Spot brought Kendra in. "Who is he?" she asked, sending Spot an uneasy look.

"He's my husband... don't you be looking at him that way girlie, or.... or you'll be sorry." 

"He's too ugly anyway," Molly muttered, taking the baby from him.

Spot shot her a glare. "I'll have you know, I-"

Rae rested a hand on his arm. "Spot... not now..."

"And what kind of name is Spot?" Molly demanded.

            He scowled at her and opened his mouth to reply. Immediately, Rae pushed him from the room, before he lost his temper and shut the door behind them.  She looked up at Spot, "Don't argue with her."

"She called me ugly!"

She slipped her arms around him. "Who cares what she thinks?"

He grumbled under his breath for a moment longer, still annoyed that this girl called him ugly, but finally sighed and nodded. "So long as she doesn't say it again."

"I'll talk to her," Rae said.  She looked up at him, "I don't think you're ugly."

He smiled, kissing her. "Thank you."

"I love you," she whispered, before kissing him back.

"Love you too... I'll be downstairs taking care of breakfast. Want me to bring you and that brat anything?"

"Please.  I don't want to leave her alone with Kendra for more than a minute."

"Will do. Be back in a few."

She sighed as she watched him head toward the stairs, before she went back into Molly's room.

The girl was studying the baby in her arms without expression on her face. When she heard the door enter, she looked up and silently watched Rae walk in.

"We are going to have a talk, young lady, so get comfortable," Rae said, sitting on the bed in front of Molly.

Molly watched her and frowned, scooting over some so Rae could sit comfortably.

"First, you will watch the walk you talk to Spot.  If he hadn't been here, you would probably be out in the barn, dead."

She swallowed hard and glanced away.

"Now, you are the only one who can feed that baby, and you are going to do it.  If I hear anymore complaining, we will take you into town and turn you over to the police for breaking and entering, and for stealing from us."

"Well YOU broke in too. This isn't YOUR house..."

"And how would you know that?" Rae snapped.

"Because this is the KRINGLE'S house, and all the Kringle kids were grown up... way older than you two."

"So you ARE from around here."

"Yeah...."

"You wouldn't happen to know any hiding places where our twins could be, would you?"

She gave Rae a puzzled look. "Twins?"

"Yes... one of them was the girl you threatened to hurt if she mentioned you.... which, by the way, I will NOT tolerate."

Molly frowned. "I..... I think... I saw.... them... talking to a man..."

"What man? Where? Did they go somewhere with him?"

She looked taken aback by Rae's influx in questioning. "I... I don't know.. I don't remember... I barely remember seeing them. I was sick, okay?"

"Please, try to remember," Rae pleaded

Closing her eyes tightly, she shook her head. "I don't know.... It was a man with a curly moustache... I think it was Mr. Anderson, but I'm not sure...."

"Who's Mr. Anderson?"

"He's a grouchy man.... I think he works for the orphanage.... keeps trying to send me there..."

"Why?"

"Because my father is a fisherman and he isn't home much and mama died a few years ago.... My father has some sort of problem with Mr. Anderson, so he doesn't like me either."

"Why would he take the twins? Why wouldn't he just bring them to us?"

"'Cause he's a mean man, that's why.... and he probably doesn't know they belong to you."

"Where is the orphanage?"

"Um.. The corner of Baker Street and Magnolia Drive, I think..."

There was a knock at the door.  "Rae," Spot called from the hall, "I've got breakfast."

Quickly, she rushed out the door.  "I think I know where the twins might be!"

"Where?" he asked.    "Just come on!" she said grabbing his hand and pulled him toward the stairs.   As they reached the top of the stairs, the front door flew open and the twins came running in.


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4:**

Rae and Spot stood there in shock for a moment. Suddenly, Rae dropped to her knees and threw her arms around them, hugging the both of them tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Spot knelt down and wrapped his arms around the three of them. After a moment he stood. "WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU TWO GO?" he demanded.

"A man took us to the orphanage, and it's all Ann's fault!" Andy exclaimed.

"IS NOT! You talked to him! I didn't!" Ann protested.

"YOU were the one who wanted to go with him! And YOU were the one who wanted to leave in the first place!"

"YOU got us lost!"

"Nah uh! YOU did!"

"ENOUGH!" Spot yelled, scaring both of them. They stared at him with wide eyes. "YOU BOTH knew that you weren't supposed to leave the house, without telling one of us. And YOU BOTH left."

Andy pointed to Ann rapidly. "SHE wanted to run away because she was jealous of the baby!"

"And YOU went with her. You are in just as much trouble as she is."

He pouted.

Rae stepped in. "How did you two get out of the orphanage?"

"That nice old man 'dopted us." Ann said. "He said to give you these," Andy said, pulling some papers from the pocket of his coat.

Rae took the papers as Spot asked, "What nice old man?"

"He said his name was Nick." Andy answered. "He brought us all the way out here and said to tell you that he was gonna came back later to talk to you," Ann added/

"How did he know where we lived?"

"I don't know," both Ann and Andy said.

Rae and Spot exchanged bewildered glances. Then Rae handed him the papers, unread, and pulled them back into another hug. "I'm just so glad you two are back safe and sound!"

"Are we still in trouble?" Ann asked. "YES!" Rae and Spot answered.

She pouted. Andy just shrugged. "I knew we'd be in trouble, Ann."

Ann looked up at them, eyes filling with tears, "I'm sorry."

Rae kissed her forehead. "Just don't EVER do that again, got that?"

Ann nodded and wrapped her arms tightly around Rae's neck. "I love you, Momma," she whispered.

She hugged her tightly back. "I love you too, sweetheart."

Rae looked up at Spot who had a confused look on his face, while reading the papers that Andy had given him. "Why don't you two run upstairs and wake up Chris and Julie?"

Spot wrinkled his brow and nodded, handing the papers back to her.

She gasped. "Spot! These papers say that they are officially ours!"

He nodded. "I know... I just don't understand how... or why?"

Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks as she continued to stare at the papers in her hands.

He kissed her cheek. "We're on our way to being one big happy family."

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his shoulder. "Family," she sighed.

* * *

Rae was fast asleep and, by the looks of it, would be that way for hours to come, so Spot checked up on Molly frequently, waking the girl when Kendra needed to be fed, and spending the rest of his time with the twins.

They were playing a quiet game of "go fish" in the parlor when a knock on the front door startled him. Who in the world would come out to the house after hearing rumors about him? Andy jumped to his feet and ran over to the door before Spot could stop him. "NICK!" Ann squealed, jumping up and running over to the old man standing in the doorway.

"Oh ho ho! Hello Ann, Andy. Good to see you!"

Ann grabbed his hand, "Come on in, Nick. Come meet my Daddy."

Spot looked up and was greeted by a tall, aged, bearded man with a great big smile and a shock of eccentric, but somehow personable white hair.

He slowly stood to his feet. "I'm Spot Conlon," he said, holding his hand out to the older man.

He slowly stood to his feet. "I'm Spot Conlon," he said, holding his hand out to the older man.

"Saint. Nick Saint."

Ann pulled on Spot's sleeve. "Nick doesn't have a house, so me and Andy told him he could stay with us."

He stared at her. "You- I... what? House? What?! You-" he sputtered.

"Me and Andy said he could live here with us. We have plenty of room. I heard Momma tell you that."

"But- I! You! WE!"

Ann sent him a pitiful pleading look.

Nick laughed. "I told you kids that I was fine sleeping out in the open."

Spot continued to look frazzled. "I... er... RAE?!" he bellowed. He smacked his forehead, "She's sleeping," he muttered, heading for the door. He didn't want to turn this man out at this particular moment because he brought the twins back ... and he would just look mean to do so.... But they couldn't have some strange man living with them! He stormed into their bedroom yelling, "RAE! WAKE UP NOW!"

She sat up, glaring daggers at him. "I HAD ALMOST FALLEN ASLEEP! This had better be good."

"Ann and Andy told Nick that he could live with us! And he's here now!"

"Well... I don't know what to do about it!"

"I don't either, just get downstairs and help me figure this whole thing out."

She sighed and climbed out of bed.

"We can't have some stranger staying in this house," Spot said. "I hate to break it to you, but Molly is a stranger, and the twins were strangers when we found them in the barn," Rae said.

"Well... yeah, but they are kids."

"Same difference," Rae muttered as they walked down the stairs.

"Well... I..." He reddened, mad and embarrassed that he was caught speechless in such a situation.

Ann saw them coming and ran over to them, "Nick can stay with us, right Momma?" she asked sending Rae them same pitiful pleading look that she had given Spot only a few minutes before.

"Yeah, please?" Andy piped in. "He's really neat and can do magic tricks like pull pennies out of my ears!"

Rae couldn't help but laugh. "Let me meet him, and then Spot and I need to talk to Nick and then we'll decide."

"Maybe if you ask he'll pull pennies out of your ears too!"

"Not today, Andy." Spot said, messing his hair.

He grinned. "It's really neat. I never knew I had pennies in my ears."

Rae smiled, "Why don't you an Ann go play in your playroom while we talk to Nick?"

He nodded and trotted off, calling out to Ann, "Come on, let's go play. Maybe I can pull money from your ears too!"

Spot led Rae into the parlor where Nick was staring out the window. "Mr. Saint, this is my wife, Rae."

"Hello Mrs. Conlon, I'm Nick Saint." He held out a hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you. The twins wouldn't stop talking about the both of you."

Rae smiled and shook his hand. "I understand they told you that you could live here with us," she said.

With a deep chuckle, he nodded. "That they did. But it's quite all right. You don't need to uphold the invitation. I know how excited youngsters get."

"It's not that we don't have room, its just..." Rae said.

Nick nodded and smiled. "I understand."

Spot sighed, not believing what he was about to say, "I think he should stay."

Nick shook his head and stood. "No, no, it's quite all right. You two have your hands full with all these children."

"But there is no reason for you to be sleeping outside when we have all this room. And I have a feeling that you will be more of a help, than a problem."

Rae nodded, arching her brow slightly at Spot. What changed his mind?

"If that's alright with you, darling," Spot said, turning to her.

"Oh yes, quite."

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking her in the eye, knowing that she couldn't hide her true feelings while looking him in the eye.

"Yes. It's perfectly fine."

He smiled at her, "Good." He turned to Nick, "We would love to have you stay with us."

"I don't know.... I hate to impose," Nick replied.

"Nonsense," Rae said.

"We want you to stay," Spot added.

"You are certain?" Nick appeared to be relenting.

"Please stay, Nick," Ann and Andy said from the doorway.

Rae leaned back and glanced towards the doorway. "Ahem... weren't you two supposed to be playing in the playroom?"

Ann hung her head, but Andy looked up at her, "We wanted to make sure that Nick was staying." Nick chuckled heartily.

Spot shook his head. "I'm afraid that the only room we have to offer is one of the tiny rooms on the third floor."

"That is perfectly fine with me," he replied. "I don't require much space."

Spot nodded, "Why don't you two little eavesdroppers show Nick to his room?"

"Yay!" they both shrieked in delight, running in and grabbing Nick's hands.

Rae and Spot laughed as they pulled the older man from the room. As soon as they were gone, she glanced at Spot. "What made you change your mind?"

"I'm not really sure."

"You wouldn't be fibbing, now you would?"

He slipped his arm around her waist. "Nah. I wouldn't fib to you."

"You better not." She grinned and kissed his cheek gently.

"I'm sorry I woke you, but I didn't want to make this decision without you."

She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well I'm glad you did.. just next time, find a better way of waking me up."

He grinned, "Let's see...I've tried throwing you in the snow, throwing you in the ocean, yelling...what other ways is there?"

"Something nice!" she exclaimed.

"And what would that be?"

"Mmm, a nice kiss would probably do the trick."

"Oh?" he asked, an impish grin on his face.

She nodded seriously.

"Is that an order?"

"Doctor's order," she replied.

"I guess I have to obey then, huh?"

"Mm, yup."

He kissed her forehead. "Let's go check on those two little imps and Nick."

"Good idea."

Once on the second floor, Rae made a quick detour to check on Molly and Kendra while Spot continued up to the third floor. Rae paused in the doorway to Molly's room. The girl was kneeling over her daughter's cradle staring down at the baby in awe. Rae stood there, smiling for a second, before Molly looked up, and with a startled noise, stepped back. Rae stood there, smiling for a second, before Molly looked up, and with a startled noise, stepped back.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Rae asked.

"I... I guess...." She chewed her bottom lip and plopped into bed.

"Is it that you don't want to keep her? Or that you can't keep her?" Rae asked, picking up the newborn.

"Both..." she muttered.

"Does your father know where you are?" Rae asked.

"He's out fishing... He'll be gone most of the month..."

"Did he know the you were pregnant?"

"Yeah..."

"And he's the reason you can't keep her? "

"Not exactly... I don't wanna talk about it!"

"Molly, I'm just trying to understand." Rae sighed. "You see, my parents abandoned me as a baby. I'm trying to understand what would drive someone to abandon such a perfect little thing."

She folded her arms over her chest, face pinched up to hold back any other expression of emotion that might come, and didn't reply.

Rae sighed in defeat and quietly left the room, not seeing the single tear that slowly made its way down Molly's cheek.

* * *

The next morning, Spot, Rae, the twins, Julie, and Chris awoke to the smell of a very delicious breakfast being cooked. Rae and Spot exchanged glances. "Breakfast?"

They jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs. Nick was in the kitchen humming an unfamiliar tune as he made breakfast. He began to sing softly, "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why...," he turned around and stopped singing when he saw them, "Oh, good morning."

They stared at him for a moment. "Um... good morning," Spot finally managed to say. "Is... Are you cooking breakfast?"

"I hope you don't mind. I woke up early and decided to let you two sleep in a little."

Rae shook her head. "No, no... this is wonderful.... You didn't have to."

"It's the least I could do. You didn't have to let me stay here."

"It smells delicious."

"It's ready if everyone is awake."

"I'm huuunnnngrrrryyyyy," came a little boyish whine as Andy entered the room, followed by a sleepy Ann, Chris, and Julie.

Nick laughed. "Well as soon as we get the table set we can eat, think you can help me do that, little man?" He nodded vigorously. "Come on," Nick said, handing the little boy some silverware.

Ann went after him and took the plates and together they set the table.

Spot smiled and put his arm around Rae, "Will you look at that?"

"I think we should make him the full-time replacement parent."

"I agree." Rae kissed his cheek. "I'm going to check on our other 'children' before I eat."

Rae climbed the stairs and headed into the room Kendra and Molly were staying in. "Rise and shine," she said quietly, shaking the girl's shoulder gently.

"Go away," Molly said, hitting Rae's hand.

"Don't you hit me young lady. When I say get up, it's time to get up, got that?"

"I don't have to do anything you say, so leave me alone so that I can sleep."

Rae rolled her eyes, grabbed Molly's arm, and pulled her to a sitting position. "Get up. Now."

"I'm up, now leave me alone."

Again, she rolled her eyes. "I will make your stay here a nightmare if you don't knock off with your attitude right now."

"I can always leave."

"What would you do when you got sick again? Or Mr. Anderson ran after you and caught you? Spot and I have done a lot for you, considering the circumstances and your behavior, and yet you STILL treat us like we're the enemy!"

"Because you are keeping me here against my will!" Rae glared at her, "We have not been holding you hostage, but if you continue to act like this I just might."

Molly harrumphed loudly and glared back.

Rae picked up a robe draped across a nearby chair. "Put this on and come down and eat breakfast."

Molly frowned and watched Rae for a moment.

She sighed, "Have it your way," she said, walking to the door and pulling a key from her pocket.

Scowling, she crawled out of bed and threw on the robe.

Rae pocketed the key, "You may come back up here as soon as we finish eating."

Silently, the girl followed her downstairs.

"Drop the attitude Molly," Rae ordered sternly.

Molly sighed heavily.

"You wouldn't find us so bad if you only gave us a chance."

"Same goes to you," she replied flatly.

"I'm trying to give you a chance. I'm also trying to help you."

"Well you don't have to order me around to do it!"

"You won't listen any other way."

"Have you TRIED any other way?"

"You been so argumentative that I haven't had a chance." By that time, they had returned to the dining room, and everyone was staring at them. "Sorry," Rae muttered, sitting next to Spot.

"Surprised to see you up and about, Molly," Spot said, attempting to be friendly. "Feeling better?"

"A little," she said, glaring at Rae.

He arched a brow and handed her a plate. "Eat up. I imagine you're pretty hungry."

She smiled at him as she took the plate, "Yes I am actually, thank you," she said politely.

Rae pursed her lips and nodded politely as Nick handed her a plate. That girl WAS a brat... Molly sent Rae a smug look as Julie passed her a bowl of scrambled eggs. Rae barely managed to hold her anger in check, wishing to slap the girl then and there, but realizing that slapping her would only give Rae a moment's satisfaction, followed by a load of guilt.

Rae sighed. Maybe she hadn't given Molly much of a chance. She would just have to try harder. She smiled down at Ann as she placed a biscuit on the little girl's plate and spread some butter on it.

"Thank you," Ann said politely, munching on the biscuit happily. "This is very yummy, Mr. Nick!"

"Much better than Mr. Spot and Miss Rae's," Andy added 

Spot tried to keep his laughter in check, but was unsuccessful. Rae was soon laughing along with him, remembering the night that he had attempted to teach her to make biscuits. Eventually, the whole table was laughing, except Molly, who really had no clue what was going on. Chris saw the confused look on her face and took pity on her. "Miss Rae can't cook," he explained.

"I can so!... A little bit," Rae argued with a laugh.

"It's always yucky," Andy said, making a face.

"Hey, is this all 'gang up on Rae' day?"

"Yes," Chris and Julie answered.

She poked out her tongue and grinned.

"May I go back to my room now?" Molly asked, interrupting the fun and laughter of the family.

"You haven't touched much of your breakfast," Nick remarked. "Would you like some fruit?" He held out a bowl with a couple bananas and apples in it.

"I'm not really hungry," Molly said, ducking her head to hide the pain in her eyes.

Rae popped the last of her biscuit in her mouth. "Need help getting back to bed?"

Molly shook her head as she stood. "No, I'll be fine," she whispered, as she left the room.

"I think something's wrong," Rae said to Spot, studying him worriedly, wondering if he had any ideas.

"I'll go talk to her," Chris offered.

She stared at him. "You? You certain?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I think I may know what's wrong."

"Okay then... don't get into any sort of fights... goodness knows we've had enough of those as it is."

Chris nodded as he left the room. He found Molly sitting on the steps, her head buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Quietly, much like he had seen Spot do when Rae was upset, he sat next to her and placed his hand on her back- that was as close as he'd come to putting his arm around her. Molly jumped, startled, and moved away from him, quickly drying her tears.

"You okay?"

She started to nod her head, but ended up shaking it.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know."

"All right then." He continued to sit beside her.

"My family used to be like that," she whispered after a moment of silence.

"Like what?" He knew well like what, but he knew it would help for her to explain.

"Meals used to be a fun time. We would laugh and carry on, just like you and the rest were."

"What happened then?"

"My older brother ran away after our mother and baby sister died."

He stared at her. "Wow... And I thought Julie and I had it rough."

"What happened to your family?"

"Our mother died... and our father is somewhere in London... we think."

"You don't know? At least I know where my father is."

He shook his head. "But I have Julie. Sometimes you don't even have your pop... when he's gone, that is."

"I don't have him much when he's home. He hates being in our house. Too many memories, he says."

"Ever thought of going out with him?"

"He won't let me. He likes to go to the tavern."

"Oh... Well... you should tell him you don't like always being on your own... that you want him to take you sometimes... he doesn't have to always go to the tavern, does he?"

"No, it's just where he always goes. I usually follow him." She sighed and hugged herself. "I really don't mind being left alone. I'm rather used to it now."

"I'm sure that's not true. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gotten upset about us being us at dinner."

She sighed, "How old are you Chris?"

"I'll be fourteen next week," he answered. "Why?" 

She shrugged, "Just wondering."

He gave her a puzzled look. "No... Why??"

"I just wanted to know if you were older or younger than me."

"Well?"

"You are older than me, by a couple of weeks," she sighed as she stood and with a sudden burst of energy ran up the stairs, slamming the door to her room.

Chris rolled his eyes a bit. He didn't get girls. With a sigh he stood and went to rejoin the rest of the family Breakfast was just ending and everyone had started cleaning up.

Rae cast a glance at him. "How'd it go?"

"Alright I guess. She just misses her family. And she told me how old she was."

She gave him an almost hungry look and grabbed his shirtsleeve. "How old?" she demanded.

"She's almost fourteen."

She and Spot exchanged glances and then looked at Chris.

"Did she say anything else?" Spot asked.

He shrugged. "Her father's still around... just at sea at the moment.... I guess she's the only other person in her family left... But other than that, no."

He thought a moment, "Oh, her older brother ran away a couple years ago."

"Hmm..." Rae tapped her chin. "Maybe we could help her find him... if she wants to find him.. if she wants HELP."

Spot sent her a look, "We aren't going to push her to find her brother. If she wants to find him, she needs to be the one to bring it up."

"Well, that's what I mean. I'm just saying we could help if she wants it."

He shook his head and kissed her on the forehead.

Chris wrinkled his nose and walked off.

Nick turned to them, "When was the last time you two had a whole day just for the two of you?"

Rae and Spot glanced at one another. "Never," they replied simultaneously.

"Go pack yourselves a change of clothes while I pack you some food. There is an old cabin out in the woods and you two are going to go out there and spend some time by yourselves."

They exchanged glances again. "Are... are you sure, sir?" Rae inquired uncertainly.

"Positive! I don't want to see either of you back up here until after breakfast tomorrow."

Rae still looked uncertain. "Well... all these children... they're a lot to handle, you know..."

"We'll be fine. I love children!"

She glanced at Spot. "You want to?" He nodded, unable to say anything. Slowly she stood and took his hand, leading him up the stairs to their room. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he said, slipping his arm around her waist. "It will be nice to be alone for a while."

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just hope everything will be fine ... I mean, we're only going to be gone a day... but still..."

He kissed the side of her head, "I'm sure they will be fine. Nick seems like he can handle whatever they throw at him."

"He hasn't had to deal with Molly yet," she pointed out.

"I think he can handle even that brat."

She smiled. "I wonder if we'll ever figure her out and actually get along with her... And I'm a little worried that she and Chris are near the same age..."

"I don't think we will have to worry about that. Chris has already shown a great disgust for girls. And she should be long gone by the time he gets over that."

"I hope so... No offense to her or anything... I don't think I would trust either of them if they liked one another..."

"I agree, but hey, let's forget about them for a while. We've been given the day off."

With a smile, she nodded. "Well... Let's pack."

They quickly threw the clothes that they would need in a knapsack and Spot slung it over his shoulder as they headed back downstairs.

Ann and Andy were at their heels the moment they stepped off the stairs. "Where are you going?" Andy demanded curiously.

"Can we come?" Ann added.

Spot turned and crouched down to their level. "Rae and I are going to go spend sometime by ourselves."

"But why can't we come?"

"Because it's ALOOONNNE, dummy," Andy replied, rolling his eyes.

Rae kissed Ann's forehead. "We'll be back tomorrow morning."

She sniffled. "You promise?"

"We promise, sweetheart," Rae said.

She hugged them both tightly.

"Behave for Nick."

"I will.... and I'll make sure Andy does too."

"I will too!" he protested.

"Are you two ready yet?" Nick asked from the bottom of the stairs.

They laughed and replied, "Yes!"

He held a picnic basket of food out to them. "Then get out of here."

Spot glanced at Rae with a smile. "I do believe we are being kicked out."

"I believe we are, Mr. Conlon."

"Shall we go then, Mrs. Conlon?"

"Yes," she said, turning to plant one last kiss on the foreheads of the twins.

"Enjoy yourselves," Nick called merrily as they walked out the door.

They walked hand in hand through the woods to the small cabin that Nick had told them about. It sat on the edge of a small lake. On the porch, that faced west, sat a rocking chair, made to seat two people side by side.

Rae gasped with a look of wonder on her face. "It's so pretty.... I wonder how he knew it was here."

"I say we don't question it, just enjoy it."

She smiled. "I agree." And linking hands, they walked up to the cabin.

Dropping the knapsack and basket on the porch, he scooped her in his arms and bent down to kiss her.

With a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Molly looked up from the book that she had found beside the bed when she heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
Arching her brow, wondering who had come to visit her, she said, "Um.. come in?"  
  
Julie stuck her head in, "Nick is going to tell us some stories downstairs and he thought you might like to join us."  
  
She glanced at the book and then up at the ceiling as she thought for a moment. Finally, she sighed and nodded. "I guess so."  
  
"Do you want to take Kendra down too?"  
  
She glanced at the baby, who was sleeping peacefully in her cradle and shook her head. "Not now anyway..."  
  
"Alright, come on then, we're waiting on you."  
  
Molly tried not to glare at Julie, got up, and followed her out of the room and down the stairs to where the others were waiting with Nick.  
  
Nick made her sit on the couch and tucked a quilt around her thin frame before he sat in the overstuffed chair across the room, with Ann on one knee and Andy on the other.  
  
* * *  
  
As the sun set, Rae and Spot sat in the rocker on the front porch. Rae was turned sideways, leaning against Spot, her legs draped over the side of the chair. "It's so beautiful out here," she mused quietly.  
  
"And so wonderfully quiet," he added.  
  
"As crazy as it sounds, I miss the noise."  
  
He smiled at her. "True.... I don't think we've ever lived AWAY from noise... Before here it was New York... and the lodging house... and everyone..."  
  
"Spot?" she asked quietly.  
  
He glanced at her. "Yes?"  
  
"Do you miss living in Brooklyn and being the Great Spot Conlon?"  
  
"Sometimes, yes. But then I probably wouldn't have been able to marry you, with all the duties I had to take care of to REMAIN the Great Spot Conlon."  
  
She rested her head on his shoulder, "You know, I really didn't like the Great Spot Conlon all that much. It wasn't until we were out here after the accident that I fell in love with you."  
  
He laughed. "Well I must say, I don't think I fell in love with you until after the accident either. I guess some good did come from it, hmm?"  
  
"It sure did. Once you didn't have every girl falling at your feet and inflating your ego, I got a chance to know the real you."  
  
He smirked. "And I think you've inflated my ego even more... marrying me."  
  
She leaned back further so that she was looking up at him. "But now I don't have to worry about all those other girls. You're all mine."  
  
"And you, my dear, are all mine... well.... mostly mine... I have to share your attention with the kids most of the day."  
  
She snuggled up in his arms, "Do you regret our keeping them?"  
  
"Only when I don't get to spend time with you. Otherwise I'm okay with it." He kissed the top of her head gently.  
  
"With that many people in the house, we aren't going to get that much time together."  
  
"It'll probably calm down eventually.... We're just getting used to this ... and new people are adding themselves to our family everyday..." He paused and smirked. "I'll bet tomorrow we'll have at least two more kids... we seem to collect them in twos."  
  
"Nah, we haven't had Molly and Kendra long enough."  
  
He laughed. "You never know."  
  
She smiled, "Well I sure hope not!"  
  
"You and me both."  
  
She sighed and rested her head against his chest.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked, stroking her hair.  
  
"We came out here to get away and spend time by ourselves, but I can't thinking about them and worrying."  
  
With a sigh, he hugged her tightly. "They'll be okay."  
  
"I'm sorry, Spot," she whispered.  
  
"It's all right. I know you can't help worrying."  
  
"I don't deserve you."  
  
"Yes you do, stop saying that."  
  
She tilted her head back to look at him, "You're too good for me, Spot Conlon."  
  
He smiled a bit. "That's the first time anyone has said that -I- am too good for them... usually they're too good for me."  
  
She smiled at him. "I guess I'll just have to say it more often."  
  
He laughed. "Don't even... it's not true."  
  
"I beg to differ."  
  
"Well then, beg to differ all you want. You're still wrong."  
  
She put one hand on his scarred cheek and leaned up to kiss him.  
  
* * *  
  
As Spot and Rae entered the clearing, hand in hand, two little figures burst from the house and came running toward them.  
  
"You're BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" Ann and Andy screamed, barreling into them.  
  
Rae lost her balance and was soon sitting on the ground with both of them clinging to her. She laughed. "Miss us that much?"  
  
"YES!!" They both squealed in her ears.  
  
"Not in my ears, not in my ears! Go hug Spot too now!"  
  
They quickly let go of her and swarmed around Spot. Rae just sat on the ground holding her head.  
  
Spot laughed. "Glad you two are so happy to see us! Why don't you let us get inside, hmm?"  
  
"Alright!" they said, running back toward the house.  
  
Spot turned to see Rae still sitting on the ground, her head in her hands. He crouched beside her and rubbed her back gently. "You okay sweetheart?"  
  
"My head hurts and my ears are ringing."  
  
"Are you sick?" He scooped her up in his arms.  
  
"I wasn't until they screamed in my ears."  
  
He smiled, picked her up, and carried her into the house. "That's excited kids for you, I guess."  
  
"Uh huh," she said, resting her aching head on his shoulder.  
  
Nick glanced over when they entered the house and stood with a smile. "You're back earlier than I expected."  
  
"We told Ann and Andy that we would be back right after breakfast," Spot said, dropping the knapsack and basket beside the door.  
  
He smiled. "Well, you could have slept in longer and had a later breakfast, no?" His eyes twinkled a bit and he picked up their things and left the room. "They were all quite well-behaved," he added.  
  
"Come on, Rae, I'm taking you upstairs," Spot said.  
  
"Spot, I want to see all the kids," she protested.  
  
"Once I get you tucked into bed, I'll let them see you, if you promise to take a nap."  
  
She sighed. "You always do this... I don't to take a nap!"  
  
He smirked. "Now you're sounding like Ann."  
  
"I'm beginning to know how she feels."  
  
"I just don't want you to get sick on me again. You had me pretty scared the last two times."  
  
"You were pretty sick yourself the last time." She kissed his cheek. "I think I'll be fine."  
  
"Humor me?"  
  
With a sigh, she consented. "I guess I could..."  
  
"At least stay in the bed and read for a while. I bet I could find at least one book that you haven't read yet."  
  
She smiled. "All right, all right."  
  
"Good girl," he said, kissing the side of her head, as he carried her into their room.  
  
"Hurry up and bring the kids to see me," she demanded after she settled into bed.  
  
He laughed. "Yes Ma'am," he said with a salute.  
  
She smiled and watched him leave, calling out each child's name.  
  
After a moment Ann, Andy and Julie came running in, Chris following at a slower pace. Spot followed them in with Kendra.  
  
"Hi everyone!" They exchanged hugs. "I missed you so much!"  
  
Chris arched a brow. "Uh... you were only gone a day..."  
  
She threw a pillow at him. "That doesn't mean we can't miss you."  
  
He ducked it and shrugged. "Okay, okay!"  
  
She laughed and pulled Ann and Andy onto the bed. "So...did you two behave for Nick?"  
  
They nodded vigorously.  
  
"We behaved very good!" Ann said seriously.  
  
"And he pulled a NICKEL out of my ear!" Andy exclaimed, bouncing on the bed and showing her the nickel.  
  
She grinned at him and placed one hand on either side of his head. "Have any more money in there?" she asked, shaking his head gently. "No rattles, so I guess not."  
  
He grinned and bounced on the bed again. "And it was really neat! He told us all kinds of stories... and... and EVERYTHING!"  
  
"Settle down, Andy," Spot said, nearing the bed.  
  
Rae sighed and shook her head, waving her hand at him. "It's okay. Let him have a little fun."  
  
Spot sighed and adjusted Kendra in his arms.  
  
Then she held out her arms. "Let me see little Kendra."  
  
He handed her the baby, "Alright, but Andy has to settle down."  
  
She patted the boy's head. "Calm down sweetheart. You can't bounce the baby around."  
  
Andy pouted, "That baby gets all the attention."  
  
"Is that what you think?"  
  
Andy nodded.  
  
"Well, it's not true. The only reason she gets any extra attention is because she's a baby... she can't take care of herself at all, so we have to take care of her for her."  
  
"It's not fair," Ann whined  
  
"Why is it not fair?"  
  
"Because, you so busy with her that you don't play with us no more."  
  
Rae patted the spot on the bed closest to her for Ann to crawl up. She put her arm around Ann's shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Is that why you two ran away?"  
  
Ann nodded and snuggled up against Rae.  
  
She kissed the top of her head. "Well, I want you to know that Spot and I love you and Andy very much. If you are upset about something, come tell us. We were so worried when you ran away...."  
  
"We thought you didn't want us no more."  
  
"Of course we want you! We always wanted you!"  
  
"Even when we be bad?"  
  
"Yes, even when you ARE bad."  
  
"And when you have to 'pank me?"  
  
She kissed her head. "We still love you... we just don't love it when you misbehave."  
  
Ann snuggled up against her and looked down at the baby. "Are we going to keep her forever and ever?" she asked.  
  
Rae shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
"Is she always going to take so much of your 'tention?"  
  
"Only 'til she can start taking care of herself more."  
  
Ann nodded and reached her hand out toward the baby's face. Before Rae or Spot could reprimand her, Kendra latched onto one of Ann's fingers.  
  
Ann squeaked in surprise. "She's STRONG!"  
  
Spot laughed and sat on the bed beside them. "I think she likes you, Ann."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Sure do," he said, messing her hair.  
  
"I think she knows who her big sister is," a voice said from the door. They all turned to see Molly leaning against the doorframe.  
  
"What do you mean?" Rae asked after a moment.  
  
"She's your daughter. Not mine."  
  
"But... you're her mother..."  
  
"I don't want her. You two do. She's yours."  
  
"You're certain?"  
  
"You don't want her? After all this time, still?" Spot added.  
  
"I don't want her! How many times do I have to tell you people that?" she yelled, before turning and running from the room, her door slamming shut a moment later.  
  
He arched his brow. "It was only a question...."  
  
"Well, that girl is just waiting to blow..." Rae said with a sigh. She looked him in the eye and then looked at the twins who were staring at them with confused looks. "Later," she whispered.  
  
He nodded and leaned against the end of her bed.  
  
Julie crawled up onto the bed, leaning over Ann's shoulder to look at the baby. "May I hold her?"  
  
Rae nodded. "Just be careful with her."  
  
"I will," she said, gently cradling the baby in her arms. "Come see Chris, you haven't been near her yet."  
  
He frowned a little and crept closer a step or two. "She smells funny."  
  
"She smells like a baby, muttonhead."  
  
"Shut up..."  
  
"Watch your mouths, you two," Rae said, hugging Ann closer to her, "I don't want them picking up those names that you call each other."  
  
"They probably already have," Spot remarked dryly. Neither of them noticed Andy blushing and hanging his head. He slipped off the bed and out of the room without a word. Spot arched his brow. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"I don't know," Rae said, reaching to shove the covers aside, "I'll go talk to him."  
  
He put his hand on hers. "No, you stay here. I'll go find him."  
  
With a sigh she slumped back against her pillow. "You'd think I was an invalid," she murmured as he trotted off.  
  
Spot found Andy sitting at the top of the stairs, his chin resting in his hands, his elbows propped up on his knees. "What's wrong, buddy?" Spot asked sitting next to the little boy.  
  
"Nothin'..." he muttered, folding his arms over his chest.  
  
Spot took his arm. "Uh uh. What's the matter? Something's the matter, I can tell."  
  
"You'll get mad at me if I tell you and then you'll beat me like they do at the orphanage." Andy said.  
  
"They did WHAT?!"  
  
"If you did something wrong they beat ya."  
  
He sighed in disgust. "I can't believe that..."  
  
"But they did," Andy sniffled. "I saw them. They beat Pat, 'cause he was nice to me."  
  
With another sigh, Spot put his arm around Andy and pulled him close. "Nobody's gonna beat you here, understand?"  
  
"You promise?" Andy asked, wiping his nose on Spot's sleeve.  
  
"I promise."  
  
Andy looked up at Spot, "Can I call you Daddy like Ann does?"  
  
With a pleased smile, he nodded. "Of course you can."  
  
Andy grinned and hugged his neck. "Thank you, Mr...Daddy!"  
  
Spot laughed and hugged him back. "You're welcome." Then he sat the boy in his lap. "Now, tell why you got up and left."  
  
"Um..." He looked down. "I uh... called Ann and Pat muttonheads..."  
  
"I'm not mad at you, Andy. Just don't call anyone that again, alright? It hurts peoples feeling when we call them names."  
  
"Yessir..." He nodded solemnly.  
  
"Andy, did Nick tell you what those papers that he told you to give me were about?" Spot asked.  
  
"No." Andy said, shaking his head.  
  
"Well, they're adoption papers... Do you know what that means?" Andy shook his head. "It means that you and Ann get to stay with me and Miss Rae forever. No one can take you away from us."  
  
"Really?!"  
  
"Yep. You and Ann belong to us now. Your name is now Andy Conlon...Just like me and Rae."  
  
"Wow... Andy Conlon.... That's ME!"  
  
Spot laughed. "Yep. That's you."  
  
"Wow! I wanna go tell Ann! Can I? Can I?"  
  
"Sure, son," Spot said, placing the boy on the floor.  
  
"Wow! Wow! And you're my real daddy now!"  
  
"Sure am. Now run tell Ann. She'll be excited too."  
  
Away he scampered, shouting, "Ann! Ann! Guess what!"  
  
With another laugh, Spot followed him to the room where the others were and leaned against the doorframe.  
  
Andy had just told her the good news and Ann was shrieking, "You're my real mommy and daddy now?!"  
  
"Yes sweetheart," Rae said, catching the little girl as Ann threw herself at Rae.  
  
"Thank you, thank you!"  
  
"Your welcome, Ann." Rae said, hugging the girl. "How about going and giving your daddy a hug and kiss?"  
  
Leaping off the bed, she ran over to Spot and threw her arms around his waist.  
  
He scooped her up in his arms. "So you're happy?" he asked.  
  
"Yes yes yes!"  
  
She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Daddy."  
  
He kissed her forehead. "You're welcome, pumpkin."  
  
"Are you gonna 'dopt Chris and Julie too?" Ann asked.  
  
"If they want to be, if we can't find their Daddy."  
  
"What about the baby?"  
  
"We'll see about the baby."  
  
She hugged him again. "I love you, Daddy."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
She wiggled to get down and he set her down. She ran over to Chris. "Where's your daddy?"  
  
Chris frowned deeply. "Uh... we don't know... he may be in London...."  
  
She cocked her head to the side, "Why don't you know?"  
  
"I don't know... because we don't!" He sighed and leaned against the wall, scowling.  
  
"Ann, leave Chris alone," Rae reprimanded gently.  
  
"But I just wanted to know..." she whimpered.  
  
"Ann!" Spot warned. She pouted and sat down on the floor.  
  
He walked over to the bed and took Kendra from Rae. "Alright, everyone out...Rae needs to rest."  
  
With slight grumbling from Rae, the children gave her hugs and left the room.  
  
He bent down and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be right back."  
  
"All right," she said, gave him a small glare, softened with a slight grin. "Bring me a book back," she said, as he headed for the door. "I plan on spending the day reading, since you won't let me do anything else."  
  
He smiled. "Certainly..."  
  
* * *  
  
Molly was in her room pretending to read, but she was actually planning her getaway. If she could get away from town then she could go look for her older brother. The door creaked open and Ann slipped in. She stared at the little girl for a long time before asking, "What are you doing up here?"  
  
"Momma's resting, and Daddy's working...and I don't have nothing to do."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I came to talk to you."  
  
"How come?"  
  
Ann shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought you might be lonely."  
  
"I'm fine," she replied with a dull voice, but she had to admit she was touched the little girl cared.  
  
Ann jumped onto the bed. "Did you know that Mr. Spot and Miss Rae are really my Momma and Daddy?"  
  
"Yeah, now that they adopted you," she replied, thumbing the book's binding absently.  
  
"Yep. I don't 'member my real Momma and Daddy too good."  
  
"How did you end up here?"  
  
Ann shrugged. "Don't 'member. Mr. Spot found us in the barn. He scared me and Andy real bad."  
  
"How?"  
  
"We was hiding in the barn and it was dark. He yelled at us."  
  
"I would have thought it was his face."  
  
"That scared us too." Ann scratched his head. "Did you know that he got hurt in a factory?"  
  
Slightly intrigued, but trying not to show it- she was planning on leaving, not staying with these... people...- she closed her book. "That so?"  
  
Ann nodded. "There was a 'splosion."  
  
"Really?" Now she was positively fascinated. "How did you learn about this?"  
  
"I listened when Daddy told Momma one night. They thought I was in bed."  
  
"Impish little scamp, aren't you?" Molly smirked. "What happened?"  
  
Ann thought for a moment. "Daddy sold papers, but then he went to work in a factory. The 'chines 'sploded. Daddy was trying to get the kids out. I think."  
  
Maybe Spot wasn't such a jerk- nah.. She shook her head slightly. "That's nice," she muttered, opening her book.  
  
Ann sighed and leaned back on the bed. "Where's your Momma and Daddy?"  
  
"Just... just go away, okay?!" Molly snapped testily.  
  
Ann sat up, tears filling her eyes. "I was just trying to be nice...." she said, her lip quivering.  
  
"Well stop it! Just go play with your brother or something!"  
  
Ann jumped from the bed and ran from the room crying.  
  
Molly sighed, rolling her eyes. 'Little kids... They get so upset over nothing...'  
  
Ann slipped into her parents' room and crawled onto the bed next to Rae. She lay down next to Rae, crying.  
  
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Rae asked, setting her book aside and stroking Ann's hair gently.  
  
"I was being nice to Molly and she yelled at me," Ann sniffled.  
  
"She's just in a grumpy mood right now... She probably has a lot on her mind, and I'm sure she didn't mean it."  
  
"I just asked her where her Momma and Daddy are..."  
  
"Mm, I don't think you should ask people that anymore... Some people get very grumpy when you ask them that. Sometimes it makes them think very sad thoughts that they don't want to think."  
  
Ann sat up, "Why?"  
  
"Because... because maybe something bad happened to their parents... or maybe their parents were mean to them. You never know what happened... and unless they start talking, it's probably best not to ask until you know the person better."  
  
"Is that why you and Daddy never talk about your parents?"  
  
After a moment, she nodded. "Yes, that's why."  
  
Ann looked down at the quilt for a moment, and then back up at Rae, tears shining in her eyes. "Momma? Why don't I 'member my real Momma and Daddy?"  
  
"You were probably very little when they went away, sweetheart," she whispered, kissing Ann's forehead gently.  
  
"But Andy 'members them."  
  
"Well, you also got sick and lost some of your memories."  
  
Ann nodded and snuggled up against Rae. "Will I get my remembories back?"  
  
"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "Maybe."  
  
Again, Ann nodded. "Can I take a nap here by you, Momma? I'm tired."  
  
"Of course." Moving over, she pulled the covers over Ann.  
  
"I love you Momma," Ann said with a yawn.  
  
"I love you too, little Ann." Rae stared at Ann as she fell asleep. As she reached for her book, she noticed Spot leaning against the doorframe, watching them. "You just gonna stand there?" she asked, lifting a brow.  
  
"Someone's in my place," he said with a smirk.  
  
She smiled. "Well, I have another side." She patted the other side of the bed. "Care to jump up and read with me?"  
  
He smiled as he walked over to the bed. He sat beside her and gave her a kiss. "She looks like you, ya know."  
  
She laughed. "That's something I didn't think I'd ever hear." Looking down at the little girl, she stroked her hair gently. "Now, if you said she acted like me... I think I could agree to that sometimes."  
  
"Oh, she acts like you too."  
  
Again, she laughed and kissed his cheek. She sighed and placed her hand on his cheek, "Have you gotten over being angry at yourself for not being able to give me children?"  
  
"Mm, not really. But I've gotten good at hiding it, don't you think?"  
  
She nodded. "I wish you would get over it, Spot. It doesn't change the way I love you."  
  
"I know... But it still makes me feel awful..."  
  
"I still would have married you if you had told me before we got married."  
  
"It still doesn't change how I feel..." With a sigh, he kissed her gently. "But... no more on it, okay?"  
  
She nodded and leaned against him, "I love you, Spot."  
  
With a smile, he pulled her close and kissed her again. "I know you do. I love you too."  
  
* * *  
  
Chris was trying to keep Andy occupied building a tower with some blocks while Julie was making some doll dresses for Ann. They were sitting on the porch, enjoying the warm afternoon. Chris looked up and saw two people coming down the drive.  
  
"Hi!" the boy in the pair called out cheerfully to the group sitting on the porch. "Are Spot and Rae home?"  
  
Chris stuck his head in the front door and yelled, "Spot! Rae! You have company!"  
  
Leaving the house, covered in splotches of flour, Rae stared at their company and then ran over to them and embraced them tightly. "Blank! Shadow! I'm so happy to see you!"  
  
Blank laughed and held her at arms length. "What has Conlon done to you, Rae?"  
  
With a laugh, she tried to dust the flour from her clothes, "He's attempting to teach me to cook."  
  
"Stop the presses! Rae Kelly- I mean, Conlon now, is learning to cook!" he teased.  
  
"Where's Conlon?" Shadow asked, glancing around in awe. "And... wow... I never thought you guys had a place like this!"  
  
"Spot went to check on the baby. She was crying." Rae looked around. "Yeah, this place shocked us too when we first got here."  
  
"Baby? BABY?! Rae, you had a baby?!" Shadow squeaked. "Let me see!"  
  
"We haven't been married that long, Shadow, only two months. Kendra's not ours. Her mother gave her to us," Rae explained, leading them into the house, Chris, Julie and Andy left forgotten on the porch.  
  
"That's weird," Blank remarked. "Shadow was right, this place is amazing!"  
  
"Did... did you tell her?" Rae glanced at Shadow and then at him.  
  
"That he's my brother? Yeah... Finally... though he still drives me nuts," Shadow muttered. "Wow! A dining room! With matching furniture!"  
  
"You should see the furniture in the bedrooms. And the size of them. Almost the size of the entire bunkroom in Brooklyn."  
  
"Wow..." Shadow and Blank breathed simultaneously.  
  
Just then Spot came down the stairs, holding Kendra in one arm, Ann's hand with the other. "Blank, Shadow, what in the world are you two doing here?"  
  
Blank sent Shadow a look, "My sister ran into a little bit of trouble with some Harlem thugs."  
  
"It was their fault," she muttered, digging her toe into the carpet.  
  
"Yeah... right..." He ignored her glare and then continued. "Hades told us we could stop by... if that's okay."  
  
"Yeah, that's fine," Spot said handing the baby to Rae. "You are welcome here as long as you like."  
  
Shadow flopped back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "I think I could stay here forever."  
  
Spot and Rae exchanged a glance and started laughing. "Once you spend a few days with all these kids you'll be more than ready to leave."  
  
"HER more than me," Blank remarked dryly, pointing to his sister.  
  
Rae shifted the baby in her arms and looked at Spot. "Blank can bunk with the boys. We can pull a mattress down from the third floor. And Shadow can room with..."  
  
"Surely you aren't going to torture Shadow by putting her with the brat?"  
  
"Well, I don't know... I guess it would be up to her... She'll probably choose bunking with Julie and Ann over Molly and the baby..."  
  
"Baby? Hey, babies are cute, but I don't want to room with any..." Shadow said firmly.  
  
"Alright, you can bunk with the girls," Rae said.  
  
Molly entered the room. "I heard the baby crying and figured she might be hungry..." she trailed off as she caught sight of the visitors.  
  
"Molly?!?!?!" Blank exclaimed.  
  
"Andrew!" 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Spot looked from Molly to Blank. "You two know each other?" Molly just stared at him in disbelief.

"She's my... she's my... sister..."

Rae arched a brow. "Wait... I thought Shadow was your sister."

"Yeah, so did I..." Shadow piped in.

"You are... but... Molly is our sister too...She's our half-sister.  My mother died when Shadow was born and Father sent her to the orphanage.  Then he remarried, and his new wife was Molly's mother." Blank explained.

Molly continued to stare at him as she slowly approached. "You're.... you're ... back? Where did you go?" She finally glanced at Shadow. "Who.. who is SHE?!"

"Gretchen... our sister."

Shadow cringed at the use of her name.

Spot and Rae glanced at one another.

"Molly, Blank and Shadow were newsies with us back in Brooklyn," Rae said

"You went to New York City?!" she screamed, flying at Blank and pounding her fists on her chest. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Then, she slumped into his arms, crying.

"Shh!!" he whispered, stroking her hair.

Spot looked down at Ann, who was still clinging to his hand.  "Go play with Julie and the boys on the porch, sweetheart."

She nodded slowly, staring wide-eyed at the pair before her as she walked away.

"Molly, what's wrong?" Blank asked, leading her, still sobbing, to the sofa.

"Why did you have to go? Why did you leave me all by myself?"

Shadow glared at her. "Hey girlie, at least YOU weren't given up for adoption and adopted by a couple of scabs!"

Blank sent Shadow a look.

"Well, it's true," she grumbled, folding her arms over her chest.

He turned back to Molly.  "I'm sorry I left you alone, but you were too little to come with me."

"You shouldn't have left in the first place! You know I have a baby now?!?!?!"

"WHAT?"

"I have a baby, are you happy now?!" she screamed, jumping to her feet and running from the room.

Spot put his arm out and stopped her.  "You aren't going to storm out of here like that.  Turn around and TALK to your brother."

"Let me go!" she yelled, hitting him hard. "Let go! Let go!"

He turned her around forcefully and shoved her toward Blank.

"I don't want to talk," she muttered, glaring daggers at Spot. "And you can't make me!"

Blank walked up behind her, "Molly, please talk to me."

"Just go back to New York. Papa and I don't need you."

He turned her to face him and forced her to look up at him. "NO! I'm not going back until we get this matter settled.  I was wrong in leaving you in the first place."

She stared at him with tears streaming down her face. Shadow just sat there with a 'do I not exist anymore?' look on her face.

"Why did you leave in the first place, Andrew? Papa was so worried and upset...."

"It's Blank now... and ... I just had to at the time. Papa was having all sorts of troubles and we were always arguing, so I figured I'd go out on my own."

"But you left me!  I needed you here and you left me!"

With a sigh, he put his hands on his shoulders and looked at her. "Yes. I realize that now. But I was angry and you were only ten years old." Molly collapsed against him sobbing. Again, he stroked her hair. "Now... tell me about this baby you suddenly have..."

"I was attacked one night outside the tavern," she sobbed.

Spot and Rae leaned in, intrigued to finally learn the story. Shadow sighed and watched them, somewhat jealous.

"Papa took me to live with Doc and Mrs. Doc after that.  After a while I got sick...and Doc told me that I was going to have a baby."

"Oh Molly..." He sighed and shook his head. "What were you doing at the tavern in the first place?"

"Following Papa."

"Who attacked you? Do you know? Do you remember?"

"I don't know," she sobbed burying her face in her hands.

He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Well... how did you end up here?"

"I was trying to run away.  I had been hiding here for a few days when Spot found me late one night.  The baby was born that night."

"Why were you trying to run away? Were the doc and his wife mean to you or something?"

"I wasn't living with them anymore.  When Papa came back home and found out he was furious and took me back home...and then he left again."

"Well, we'll have to find him once he comes back." 

"Take me with you when you go back to New York.  I don't want to stay here by myself anymore."

"We'll have to see Papa."

"But-"

"Then we'll talk of you coming with me... I doubt you'll like it because it's a lot rougher than it is here..."

"At least I won't be left alone for weeks at a time."

He sighed. "I suppose that's true."

Just then Kendra began to fuss.  Molly sighed, "I guess I better go feed her." She walked from the room to feed Kendra in private and Blank sat down next to Shadow again with a heavy sigh.

"So, dearest brother of mine... When were you going to tell me about this sister of ours?!" Shadow exclaimed, punching him hard in the arm.

"I don't know, alright, Shadow...I don't know."

She sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "Some day this has turned out to be. Spot, Rae? Could you show me a place where I can take a very long nap?"

"Sure," Rae said, "Come on."

She wrinkled her nose at her brother and stood, following Rae out of the room.

"You sure have a way with your sisters," Spot commented.

"Shut up."

"This house is incredible," Shadow said, following Rae up the stairs.

"It is," Rae agreed. "And so many things have happened to us since we moved in." She passed the study, where Nick was seated, reading, and waved to him before moving on.

"Who was that?" Shadow asked.

"That was Nick.  He has unofficially adopted all of us.  He makes sure that Spot and I get some time alone.  But he likes to spend a lot of time by himself.  I really don't care. He can cook and he actually pays us rent.  As much as we try to argue, he insists on paying."

"You guys HAVE had a lot of weird things happening..."

"Tell me about it. Nick is a miracle worker or something.  He somehow got us adoption papers for Ann and Andy.  It's just been one thing after another."

She smirked. "Maybe he could work a few miracles for me."

"Ya never know, Shadow," Rae said, stopping outside a door.  She opened it, "Sleep as long as you like."

"Thanks." She stepped in. "Wow... you were right... I think this room is bigger than the whole darn lodging house itself!"

Rae laughed.  "The beds are really soft.  I bet you'll sleep like a baby for hours.  Best sleep you've ever gotten."

"Mm, I'll bet." She eyed the bed and smiled. "Well... See you... when I see you..." Then she walked deeper into the room and plopped on the bed. "Ahh! I am in heaven!"

Rae laughed and closed the door, heading back down the stairs.

Spot and Blank were busy conversing quietly amongst themselves, glancing up when Rae entered.

"Shadow isn't like... mad, is she?" Blank asked.

"She sure didn't act it.  But I think she wasn't thinking of anything besides that bed."

Spot laughed. "And she won't be for another several hours."

Rae sat beside Spot.  "If we had had any idea that Molly was your sister, we would have sent for you, Blank." she said.

"It's okay," he said with a nod. "I didn't make the connection with the town name... and I certainly didn't think you'd meet..."

"How long do you intend to stay?" Spot asked, slipping his arm around Rae.

"Um, not too long... Probably no more than a few days. Though I would like to get things sorted out with Molly and my father before Shadow and I left."

"From what little Molly has told us your father should be back soon.  And her birthday is in a few days." Rae said.

He nodded thoughtfully. 

Rae sighed.  "Molly can't leave Kendra just yet, and she is more than welcome to stay here with us until she can. And then we will put her on a train and send her to you."

"Just write a letter or something. I'll come and get her."

Ann stuck her head in the room. "Daddy, can I come back inside now? I'm tired of playing."

Spot laughed and nodded. "Of course, sweetheart."

She ran over and jumped in his lap.  Slipping one arm around his neck, she looked at Blank and asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm just a friend of Spot's and Rae's," he replied.

"Are you gonna come live with us too?"

He laughed. "Only for a couple days. Then my sister Shadow and I will be gone."

"Why?" Ann asked.  "Ann," Rae reprimanded gently, "didn't we have a talk about asking too many questions?"

She sighed and rested her head on Spot's shoulder, falling silent.

Blank smiled at the little girl, "I think someone is a daddy's girl..."

Rae smirked. "I often thought that myself."

            "I love my Daddy," Ann whispered.

"But you don't love your Mommy?" Rae asked.

Ann leaned over and wrapped her arms around Rae's neck. "I love my Momma, too."

"I bet you always behave for your Momma and Daddy, don't ya?" Blank asked.

"Um..." She blushed.

"Most of the time," Spot replied.

"Momma 'panks me when I be bad," Ann whispered hesitantly.

"Then you better be good, hmm?" Blank smiled faintly.

"It makes Momma cry when she has to 'pank me and I don't like to see her cry." Ann said, looking up at him.

Rae blushed and gently prodded her off to the playroom.

"Rae Conlon, an old softy now?" Blank remarked with a smile.

"I can still soak you, Blank and you know it." she retorted.

He grinned.

"Don't get her riled, Blank," Spot said, "Because then I'll have to carry her down to the lake and throw her in."

He burst into laughter as Rae protested. "You will NOT, Spot Conlon! So help me!"

"You know I wouldn't do that, sweetheart," Spot said, giving her a kiss.

"Better not," she grumbled, accepting the kiss.

"Boy... the two of you have REALLY changed!" Blank exclaimed. "You two used to just slug it out...now you just kiss her and the argument stops..."

"That's what we get for getting married," Rae remarked with a solemn shrug before bursting into giggles. She rested her head on Spot's shoulder, "I must admit, it's a rather nice way to end an argument."

"Quite."

Blank didn't know whether to laugh or roll his eyes, so he did both.

Rae and Spot laughed at him and then Rae stood, "I need to go check on our dinner," she said, slipping from the room.

Blank chuckled as she left. "It's amazing how you both are so different... I never ever thought I'd see Rae cook."

Rae stuck her head back in the door, "If you think that's odd, you should see Spot in a frilly white apron."

He glanced at Spot with an arched brow. "Oh... a frilly white apron, eh?"

Spot shrugged and smirked. Rae giggled and headed toward the kitchen.

"That is something I imagine them at the lodging house would cough up a fortune to see."

"I'm sure," Spot said, "I had hoped she had forgotten about that."

"Rae? Forget something like that? You underestimated her," Blank teased.

"I know," Spot replied staring toward the door. "In some ways we haven't changed, Blank. We still tease each other unmercifully and we still argue alot, but I wouldn't dare raise my hand to her again.  I love her, more than I can express."

"Never thought I'd hear that coming from Brooklyn's biggest ladies man... I must say I think the change is nice... And I'm sure Rae does too."

"Yeah,"  Spot stood, "Come on, I've got to go set the table, and find two more chairs for you and your sister."

Blank nodded. "I'll help... And Spot?"

He glanced back. "What?"

"Thanks for letting Shadow and I stay here... and for taking care of Molly... if she was anything like she was earlier today, I imagine she wasn't easy to handle..."

"She hasn't been, but she's getting better.  We really don't mind you being here.  We told Hades that anyone was welcome to come out at any time."

Blank sighed and nodded. "Sorry about her..." He shrugged. "She's a little... spoiled, even though my family never had much..."

"Don't worry about it Blank.  If Rae and I can't handle her, no one can."

He smirked. "Amen to that."

"Come on, I'm hungry."

And he followed Spot into the dining room.

Dinner that night was a noisy affair and after dinner Rae and Spot sent Ann and Andy to get ready for bed.   Ann clung to Spot, casting uneasy glances at Shadow.  "I don't want to share my room with her, Daddy, she scares me," she whispered in Spot's ear.

"She's nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart."

"Can't I sleep with you and Momma?"

He rested his forehead on hers. "You'll be all right, Ann, I promise."

"But I don't want to," Ann said, tears filling her eyes.

"Why does she scare you? Did she do something mean to you?"

"NO!" Ann sobbed, burying her head in his shoulder, "Please don't make me sleep in my room, Daddy."

"Well, I want to understand why you are so scared. Can you tell me that, sweetheart?"

"I just am, Daddy. Please don't make me...Can't I please sleep with you and Momma?"

He sighed heavily. "Ann, you need to learn to sleep on your own."

Rae walked over and crouched next to them. "What's going on?"

"She says that she doesn't want to sleep in her room.  She wants to sleep with us."

Gently taking the girl's hand, she asked, "Why is that honey?"

"She scares me." Ann said, turning and clinging to Rae after pointing out Shadow. "Please don't make me Momma."

Rae and Spot exchanged glances. "We're not going to say anything until you tell us why she scares you," Spot finally said.

"She might hurt me while I'm sleeping," Ann whispered.

"Oh no, no, dear, Shadow would never do that. We wouldn't let her stay here if she was," Rae said soothingly. To contradict what she had said, Shadow was busy wrestling with Blank.

Ann sobbed and tightened her grip on Rae's neck.

"She isn't going to hurt you, I promise. She's just playing around with Blank-"

Blank yelped.

"KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!" Rae yelled before continuing. "Daddy and I trust her. She wouldn't hurt you or she'd have the both of us to face."

Ann pulled back and sent Rae a pitiful look, "Please Momma?"

"Let Daddy and me talk, okay?"

Ann nodded, and rested her head on Rae's shoulder.

"You go help Julie finish cleaning up."

"Yes ma'am."

When Ann left, Rae turned to Spot. "What do we do?"

"I don't know.  She was doing so much better.  She hasn't had a nightmare in two weeks."

"I wonder why she thinks Shadow would hurt her? As far as I know, she hasn't even really talked much to Ann... Mostly she gripes about Molly or picks on Blank."

"Who knows? Maybe she's thinking about Molly's threatening her.  Shadow and Molly do look a lot alike."

Rae tilted her head to the side and examined Shadow. "Yes, I guess they do somewhat... And then, her beating up on Blank doesn't help much either, I suppose."

Spot sighed, "Do we let her sleep in our room until Shadow and Blank leave? Or force her to sleep in her room, with the possibility of even more nightmares?"

"I don't know... She has to get used to sleeping in her own bed. But I know the nightmares scare her terribly..."

"She has been sleeping in her own bed most nights.  At least she starts out there."

"I want to get her ending up there though, you know?" She sighed and tilted her head back. "Who would have known these little decisions could be so complicated?"

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'd almost take being the leader of Brooklyn than having to fight with Ann to get her to sleep tonight."

She smiled. "I'd almost rather be MARRIED to the former you than go through that."

He smiled back at her, "So we let her stay with us?"

With a sigh, she nodded absently. "I guess so."

"We WILL get through this," he said, gently placing a hand on her cheek.

She nodded. "It's just a matter of time, right?"

"Of course, darling. Once things settle down, we'll make her sleep in her own bed all night. If she wakes up, she goes right back to her bed."

With a smile, she rested her head on his shoulder. "I suppose we ought to tell her."

"It's time for the twins to go to bed anyway."

She nodded and rose to her feet. "Ann! Andy! Time for bed!"

"Five more minutes?" they whined.

"Nope." Spot shook his head firmly. "Off to bed you two."

"But..." Andy protested.

"Bedtime!" Rae sang, herding them towards the staircase.

"Do we have to go to bed right away, Momma?" Andy asked as Rae helped them change.

She kissed the top of his head. "Yes sweetheart," she replied, swinging him lightly into bed. "You'll be out before you know it."

He yawned and hugged her neck. "Night, Momma."

Planting a kiss on his cheek, she said, "Goodnight Andy." She scooped Ann up in her arms and carried her across the hall.  "To sleep with you too, Miss Annie," she said tucking the girl under the covers.

Reaching her arms up to hug Rae, she said, "Thank you Momma."

"Your welcome, sweetheart," Rae said, hugging the girl.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep, Momma?" Ann asked.

"I suppose I could do that." She climbed onto the bed and sat next to Ann, stroking the little girl's hair gently.

"I'm sorry, Momma," Ann whispered.

"Sorry for what, sweetheart?"

"For making you and Daddy mad..."

"We aren't mad, Ann."

"You aren't mad at me for not wanting to sleep in my bed?"

"No, we aren't mad. I promise."

Ann nodded and closed her eyes. Within another moment she was sound asleep.

Rae kissed her forehead, sliding off the bed, and headed downstairs.

"They get to sleep all right?" Spot inquired as she came to sit on the couch next to him. Everyone else was gathered in the living room, enjoying the quiet for awhile.

"Sure did," she replied with a smile.  "What do you say we have an old-fashioned Brooklyn poker game?"

"YEAH!" Shadow cheered and Blank nodded in agreement while Chris, Julie, and Nick looked on, bewildered.

"Well...this won't be as wild as some of the Brooklyn poker games, but Manhattan's not here for that.  You do know how to play poker, right?" Spot asked.

Julie and Nick shook their heads. "The missus wasn't too fond of the game," he added.

"A little," Chris replied.

Rae left the room and returned a moment later with a deck of cards. "Gather 'round. We'll teach you."

* * *

The entire family was outside enjoying the early spring day.  Rae sat on the porch with Kendra and Ann watching while the boys attempted to play a game of baseball with the help of Shadow and Julie.  Molly was sitting in the low branch of a nearby tree reading a book.

After a while, Rae set Kendra in the cradle they had brought out and laid down on the porch, resting a hand on her stomach. It had been gurgling since breakfast... Maybe it was something she ate, but it sure didn't feel too well. She slipped into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.  She drank the water and sat rather weakly in a chair.

Nick was leaving the living room with a deck of cards in his hand, and he caught a glance of Rae at the table. "Are you all right?" he inquired.

She nodded. "Breakfast just didn't settle too well, I guess."

"Would you like me to call on Spot for you?"

She shook her head, "He'd just over react.  I'll be fine."

"All right then. Coming back outside? I'm sure fresh air will do you some good."

"I'm coming."

He held out a wiry, aged arm for her and led her out the door again. When she sat back down on the porch Ann crawled into her lap, "Are you sick, Momma?"

She shook her head. "My tummy is just a bit rumbly, is all."

Ann nodded and leaned back against Rae, as a man came walking down the long drive, a clearly confused look on his face. Rae arched a brow, wondering who had the nerve to come up to their house with all the rumors flying about Spot. Behind her, Molly gasped.

"Papa!" Molly squealed, brushing past them.

"Molly?!" He opened his arms and caught her as she barreled into him. "I've been looking everywhere for you sweetheart!"

"I was sick, Papa, and they let me stay with them...and then Andrew came..."

"Andrew?" He glanced around. "Is he here too?"

"Right there," Molly said, pointing to Blank

The boy had yet to notice his father in the yard, as he was yelling at Shadow who had beaned him in the head with the ball.

"Andrew?" he called out.

He started when he heard his name called and he turned, "What?!... Papa?...." Thwack!! "WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THAT THING, SHADOW!"

"Sorry," she sang happily.

He turned to his father uncertainly. "What... what are YOU doing here?"

"I came home expecting to find my daughter.  But when I couldn't find her I stopped into town to see if anyone had seen her and heard the rumors about this place.  Something about a beast who was kidnapping children..."

"That would be me," Spot said, waving from across the green. "But I'm not kidnapping them... they flock to me, for some odd reason."

Mr. Gaines nodded in understanding and turned back to Molly.  "I see you had your baby..."

She frowned deeply. "Yes..."

Rae walked up with the baby.  "This is your granddaughter, Mr. Gaines."

He looked down at the baby and then at Molly. "It's a miracle you both were safe through it..." His face looked distant and sad for a moment. "... What's her name?

"Kendra," Spot said as he joined the small group.

"A lovely name..." He looked at Blank and walked over to him. "Where have you been, son?"

"In Brooklyn. With Spot and Rae," he said, nodding toward the couple, "And Shadow...."

"Brooklyn?!"

"Yes, sir."

"Andrew Gaines... You don't know how worried I was about you! Brooklyn!"

"I'm sorry, Papa.... Rae took good care of us boys though," he said, smirking at Rae, who raised her fist. "And you'll never guess who I found there..." Seizing Shadow's arm as she tried to sneak past, he pulled her into the group.

Mr. Gaines looked at her uncertainly. He didn't recognize her... fully. "She... she looks like Molly."

Shadow rolled her eyes. "Not that again!"

"It's Gretchen, Papa." Blank said, ducking to dodge her fist.

"Gretchen?" He looked confused just a moment longer. Then realization seemed to strike. "Gretchen!"

She cringed. "Don't call me that... it's a horrible name..."

Mr. Gaines grabbed her into a tight hug. Shadow made a strange face.

"Then what would you have us call you, sister?" Blank asked.

"Shadow. Shadow, like you always have."

"Papa?" Molly interrupted.

Mr. Gaines looked at her. "Yes, sweetheart?"

She took a deep breath, "I want Spot and Rae to have my baby.  They want to keep her and I don't."

"I think you ought to," Shadow retorted. "You don't know what it's like to be given up by your parents.... you're nothing but... a.. spoiled... little ... brat."

"At least you had a family at some point, Shadow," Rae responded, handing the baby to Spot, tears in her eyes.  "I was left on a doorstep when I was not much older than Kendra," she said, running to the house.

Shadow huffed a sigh. "I meant to insult HER-" She pointed to Molly, "Not Rae!" And off she stalked.

Spot sighed. "Excuse me, will you?" And he trotted off to find Rae. "Rae?" he called softly as he ran up the stairs.

"What?" came a muffled response from their bedroom. She was curled up in a chair crying.

He walked over and knelt in front of her.  "Rae..."

"Go away, Spot," she hiccupped.

"Not until you talk to me, sweetheart."

"About -hic- what?"

"About what's the matter.... Shadow didn't mean what she said to you... she thought much of what you thought, most likely... That Molly is being selfish for giving Kendra up."

"I just..." she jumped up and ran for the small washroom off of their room.

He stood and followed her, concerned. "Rae?"

"Go away, Spot..." she said and then he heard her throwing up.

"Honey?" he called in to her, worriedly. "Are... are you sick? What's the matter?" She opened the door and looked at him. He waited, patient, but painfully worried, for her to explain.

"Yes, I am sick, but I don't know why..."

He put his arms around her. "Why don't you rest then, until you feel better?"

She nodded weakly, "Sounds good to me."

"Want me to carry you there?" But he didn't leave room for response. He had already swept her up and placed her on the bed, pulling the askew blankets over her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well, honey."

"Is she alright?" Shadow asked as Spot closed the bedroom door.

"She's sick," Spot murmured, casting a worried glance at the door.

"I didn't mean anything, Spot..."

 "I know you didn't."

Shadow sighed and turned to walk away.

He put a hand on Shadow's shoulder. "It's not your fault... you were just voicing your opinions about Molly..."

"This whole thing has me confused Spot."

"What does?"

"I went for so many years without a family...and now all of a sudden I have one...my sister wants to give up her baby...not knowing what it will do to that child..."

He nodded, waiting to see whether or not she wanted to continue.

"It's not that I don't trust you and Rae...it's just...I'm not really sure how to deal with all this..."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand fully. You know how deeply that feeling of abandonment can affect someone because you've experienced it first hand, and you don't want this little baby to grow up knowing her mother left her to almost complete strangers."

Shadow nodded. "But you and Rae aren't really strangers...I mean...Blank and I have known you for years..."

"We are strangers to Molly, though," he pointed out.

"But you two saved her life...twice...and baby Kendra's..."

He smiled. "Don't try to think it over so much right now. I think you'll hurt yourself."

She playfully punched him in the arm. "Shut up, Conlon."

With a grin, he lightly punched her arm in return. "Why don't you go catch up with your newfound family? I'm sure there's a lot of explaining that will be going on."

She nodded, "Thanks for letting me talk."

"You're welcome. You needed it."

She smiled and him and ran down the stairs to join her family. Spot sighed and leaned against the wall. 

Ann and Andy came running up the stairs, "Where's Momma?"

With a weary smile, he looked down at them. "She's taking a nap. Why, is there something you needed?"

"She looked sick earlier," Ann said, with a nod.

"Well, she isn't feeling too well, but I'm sure she will be fine by tomorrow."

"Is she gonna be real sick like last time?" Andy asked.

"I don't think so." 'I hope not,' he added silently to himself.

"Are you and Annie gonna get sick too?"

He chuckled. "No, no... I don't think so." This, he could be a little more certain of.

"Can I see her," Ann asked.

"Not right now, sweetheart, she's sleeping."

Her lower lip quivered, "But I wanna she her..."

He picked her up. "You can when she's awake, all right?" Ann looked like she was going to protest again, but nodded when he sent her a disapproving look. "Why don't we go downstairs and see what Chris and Julie are up to, hmm?"

"Ok," she said.

Taking And's hand, he led them down the stairs.

Julie was sitting on the porch, talking to Kendra who was once again in her cradle.  Chris was nearby throwing the ball up in the air and catching it.

"Toss that thing here!" Spot yelled, setting Ann on her feet and walking into the grass. And they all became involved in a light game of catch.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: **

Sometime later Spot slipped back upstairs and sat on the edge of the bed. He brushed the hair from Rae's face and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. 

Stirring, she opened a pair of sleepy eyes on him. "Hello," she murmured with a yawn, stretching. 

"Feeling better?" 

"Yes," she replied with a nod, pushing herself to a sitting position. 

"You had everyone worried about you." 

She smiled drowsily. "You all worry too much." 

"Andy was worried that we would all get sick again." 

Her smile was broader. "That was certainly a problem." 

"Do you want to go downstairs? Or can I let the twins come up?" 

"I'll go down. Let everyone know I'm not an invalid." Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed she rose to a slow stand and yawned. "Let's go... I'm starving." 

He gave a slight laugh, "That's my girl." 

She smiled and followed him downstairs. 

"Momma!" Ann and Andy squealed when they saw her coming and ran over to her. 

She laughed when they threw their arms around her. "Why hello! What a wonderful greeting!" 

"Are you all better now, Momma?" Ann asked. 

Nodding, she replied, "All better." 

"Goody," Andy said. 

"Did you all have dinner yet?" 

"It's just about ready," Nick called from the kitchen. "Some one go tell the Gaines' to come and get it." 

"I will I will!" Ann and Andy shrieked, running out the door. 

Rae glanced at Spot, as they headed into the kitchen. "How is everything with them?" 'Them', meaning the Gaines'. 

"They've been sitting out there talking all morning." 

"No fighting? Not even from Shadow?" 

"She put up a fuss for a little while..." 

She smiled. "Sounds like our Shadow!" 

He put his arm around her, "Come on, let's go get some food." 

She nodded and helped Nick bring the food to the table, thanking him repeatedly for all his help. 

"Just doing what I love, missy," he replied with a smile. 

"Well thank you still, you have been such a tremendous help." 

There was no time for further talk because 8 hungry people came rushing into the room, talking loudly. 

Rae grinned, leaning into Spot. "Mm, reminds me of the lodging house." 

"Sure does," he said, kissing the side of her head, "only we can kick most of them out tonight." 

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, that's true." 

Sure enough, that night the entire Gaines family went back to their house, Molly and Kendra included. "I'm only in town for a few days," Mr. Gaines said, "I'd appreciate it very much if you would allow Molly to stay here while I'm gone. I won't worry about her so much." 

"Um, certainly," Spot finally said after Rae elbowed him in the side to agree. 

"Are you sure about Kendra? I can always take her to the orphanage..." 

"Positive. We do NOT want her there." 

He nodded and then left to take his family home. 

"Well... that gives us a small breather.... Back to our original family size... with Nick on the side," Spot commented. "And did you have to elbow me so hard!" He rubbed his side and made a face. 

"Sorry..." 

He kissed her cheek. "Forgiven. Now come on, let's get inside before you DO get sick from the cold." 

"I'm not going to get sick...breakfast just didn't settle well..." 

"Mm, still. Come along." 

"Yes sir..." she whined sounding like Ann and Andy. 

He grinned. 

She reached over and pinched his arm. "Cut that out." 

He continued grinning, wincing only slightly from the pinch. 

She huffed, "You are so...." 

"Horrible? I know." 

She huffed again. "And you're so horrible that you know you're so horrible!" 

"But you love me, right?" 

"Of course," she grumbled, giving him the slightest of smiles. 

"I saw that smile, Conlon, and I want to see a better one..." 

"Try convincing me, hmm?" 

"It won't take much." 

She pursed her lips, hiding another smile. "Then take your best shot." 

He smirked at her and then pulled her into his arms and kissed her. 

She bit her lip as the corners of her mouth curved up. "Try again." 

"Gladly," he retorted, kissing her again. 

She gave him a bright smile. "I think you did a fine job of convincing." 

"Why thank you, Mrs. Conlon. Thank you." 

Ann and Andy skipped into the hall, "Momma, Daddy, come read to us..." Andy said. 

"Nick found that book you was readin' to us on the boat," Ann added. 

Spot and Rae exchanged glances and then Rae hurried ahead. Chris was in the parlor staring in shock and confusion at something in his hands. 

Rae took it from him. "Spot this isn't just A copy....it's THE copy..." 

"How... Are you sure? How do you know?" 

"Just look at it..." she said, handing it to him. 

He examined the cover and then shrugged helplessly. "Maybe one similar?" It was so hard to believe that... this... was the book that was lost in the ocean. 

"It's water-logged, Spot...." 

He studied the book, unable to believe it. "But... but it can't be... How...?" 

Rae turned to Nick, but he held up his hand. "Don't ask, because I won't tell." 

She gave him a small, odd smile and then threw her arms around the old man's slender waist. "Thank you," she whispered. 

He hugged her back, "You are very welcome, missy. Now I know two children who want to hear a story from their parents...I'm going to bed." he said, slipping from the room. 

She smiled happily, clutching the book to her chest, and nodded, motioning for Ann and Andy to follow her up the stairs. 

Rae settled herself on the bed in her room, Ann and Andy crawling up and snuggling up on either side of her. 

Ann smiled happily. "This is Momma's favorite book, Andy," she said with a wise little nod. "And now she's reading it to us!" 

"I knew that Annie!" he retorted. 

"What about me?" Spot asked from the doorway. 

"Scoot over kiddos. Daddy wants to hear too." 

Ann stood on the bed and waited until he was sitting next to Rae before dropping into his lap. He grunted from her fall and gave a grimace like smile. 

Rae bit back a laugh. "Everyone comfy now?" 

"Yes," they chorused. 

She opened the book and began to read the familiar words, "Once upon a time, in a lad far away..." 

~*~ 

An hour later she glanced over the top of her book, to see Chris and Julie curled up on the end of the bed sound asleep. Andy was asleep with his head on her shoulder and Ann was asleep in Spot's lap. 

She smiled at him and said quietly, "It looks like we've acquired a larger audience somewhere during all this." 

He nodded. "They slipped in right after you started reading. Guess they didn't want to be left out." 

She smiled. "I guess this will be our 'family' thing. Storytime..." Her smile broadened at the word family and she rested her head on his shoulder. 

He slipped his free arm around her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "An odd family...but a family all the same." He kissed the side of her head. "Let's get these kids to their beds." 

She nodded in agreement and slid quietly off the bed, scooping the drowsy Andy into her arms. Spot did the same with Ann. 

He stopped at the end of the bed and gently shook Chris. "Time to move to your own bed." 

"Wake Julie, if you could, please," Rae added. 

Chris nodded wearily. "Yes ma'am." 

Gently, she kissed his forehead. "Thank you." 

He made a face, but turned to wake up his sister. She smiled and left the room after Spot. 

She placed Andy on his bed and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Chris," she said as she passed Chris in the doorway. 

"Night," he yawned. 

"Sleep well, kid." 

"Mm, thanks." He crawled into bed and was out a few moments later. 

She smiled slightly and went back into her room. She quickly changed into her nightgown and crawled under the covers. She opened the book to where she had just left off and began to read. 

Spot entered a few moments later with a yawn, changed, and crawled into bed next to her. "Mm, I hope I don't have to compete for your attention with that book," he teased with a grin. 

"You might," she retorted with a mischievous smirk. 

He 'hmphed' but gave her another grin, kissing her goodnight and closing his eyes. 

She put the book aside and moved closer to him, "Spot?" 

He peeked at her through one slit eye. "Yeah?" 

"Hold me?" 

He smiled. "As you wish, Madam Doctor." Slipping his arms around her waist, he cuddled closer. 

She kissed him, "Goodnight, love." 

"Goodnight sweetheart." 

* * * 

Rae groaned, rolling onto her side. The scent of frying bacon wafted down the hall. It was not a pleasant smell to her aching stomach. Climbing to her feet, she staggered to the bathroom and threw up. 

Spot rolled out of bed, "Rae? Sweetheart?" 

Her response was throwing up again. He knelt beside her and pulled her hair back from her face. She spit into the bowl and then glanced at him with a weak smile. "Thanks Spot." 

"Are you alright, darling? This is the second time this week that you've gotten sick..." 

"I don't know," she moaned. 

"Maybe I should go find that doctor..." 

She shook her head. "It goes away after awhile... I'll be fine soon." 

He pulled her into his arms. "I hate seeing you like this, sweetheart." 

She sniffled. "I hate being like this." 

The bedroom door burst open and Ann skipped in, "Morning, Momma...Morning Daddy." 

Wearily, Rae looked at her and smiled as Spot pulled her to her feet. "Morning sweetheart." 

Ann cocked her head to the side, "Are you sick, Momma?" 

"Just a tummy ache," she replied, resting a hand on the top of the little girl's head. 

Ann wrapped her arms around Rae's waist, "You need to sleep, Momma. Dr. Trent said that sleep makes us feel all better." 

She laughed softly. "Is that so? Are you gonna be Momma's little doctor?" 

Ann nodded smartly. "Yep. Me and Nurse Daddy will make you all better." 

She grinned, glancing at "Nurse" Spot out of the corner of her eye. 

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. "Now be a good girl and go to sleep," he said with a grin as he tucked her under the covers. 

"I just woke up though," she whined. 

"Ah ah... the doctor and her nurse have spoken." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. 

"But Spot...." 

He placed a finger over her lips. "No buts about it missy." 

"I'm fine...just a little upset stomach..." 

"A little upset stomach that would feel better with some rest. Now stop arguing with me." 

"Spot..." 

He lifted a brow. She sent him a pleading look. He smiled. "We're only doing this to help you, honey." 

"I told you I was fine..." She jumped up from the bed and ran back toward the bathroom. 

He followed her and sat next to her, holding her hair out of the way again as she vomited. "Wanna run that by me again?" 

She shook her head weakly. 

Kissing her forehead, he picked her up and carried her back to the bed. "Now... Rest up some, please?" he said, pulling her blankets up to her chin. 

"Will you come back and sit with me after you eat?" 

"Of course." 

She smiled weakly and rolled over. 

He kissed her temple and picked up Ann, carrying her down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Nick was frying up breakfast. 

"Where's the missus?" Nick asked, glancing over his shoulder when they walked in 

"She's feeling a little sick again," Spot replied, slyly swiping a strip of bacon off the plate 

"Maybe one of us should go for the doctor." 

"I don't know," he replied, snatching another bacon strip to snack on. "She says it only comes and goes..." 

"It might be a good idea." 

He paused for a moment. "She asked me not to... and I really don't want to go behind her back and go get him." 

"Well, all right then... but if the situation gets worse, I do recommend it." 

Spot leaned against the counter. "Nick? What would you have done if your wife was sick like Rae?" 

"Well," he paused thoughtfully, resting his hands on the countertop. "I would let her know I was there with her... Just take care of her the best I could until I could get some help." 

"I want to get a doctor out here to make sure that she's alright, but I'm not sure that I want to get that doctor bad enough to go behind her back to get him." 

Nick nodded. "I understand. You are in a bind, that is for certain." 

Ann tugged on his sleeve. "Daddy? Why is Momma sick lots?" 

He shrugged, ruffling her hair. "I'm not sure." 

"We can make her all better right? Like Dr. Trent made me all better?" 

"We're certainly gonna try!" 

"What if she doesn't get better Daddy?" 

"I don't know... I guess we'll bring a doctor back here to see what he can do." 

"Andy said that my real Momma got sick and went away? Is Momma gonna go away too?" 

Her question made him stop and think for a moment... He hadn't thought of that... Rae didn't seem ill enough to die... he didn't think... That wasn't reassuring, he wanted to know. But, for Ann's sake, he shook his head. Resting his hand on her head, he replied, "We'll fix Momma up real good, okay?" 

She nodded and leaned against his leg, falling silent. Spot cast a confused glance toward Nick. 

Nick leaned over and picked Ann up. "I am certain your new mother will be wonderfully fine. Would you like to help me finish making breakfast?" 

"Alright," she said with a nod. He set her to her feet and draped the ruffled apron Spot usually ended up wearing over her head. She giggled and turned to Spot, "Tie it Daddy?" 

He smiled, wrapping the ties around her little waist before tying it in a secure bow on her back. She grinned up at him before going to help Nick. Spot leaned against the wall and smiled as he watched them make preparations. Ann was a little more trouble in the kitchen then she was help, but it was cute seeing her so happy, TRYING to help Nick with the pancakes. 

Chris stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, "I thought I heard someone sick upstairs..." he muttered, dropping into a chair by the table. 

"That would probably be Rae... and... I'm scheduled to go back up and sit with her." Spot excused himself and trotted back up the stairs. 

She wasn't in the bed when he walked in the room, but he could hear her in the bathroom again. 

Leaning against the doorframe, he called in, "Honey?" 

"What?" she called out weakly. 

"I just wanted to let you know I was back... are you sure you don't want to see a doctor?" 

"I don't want to see any doctor but Trent, and I'm really not feeling up to a trip into Brooklyn." 

"Would you like me to go out for him and bring him back to you? I hate seeing you like this." 

"He can't leave his other patients Spot. If I'm not better soon then I'll let you take me to see him. But I'm fine." 

He folded his arms over his chest. "All right, if you insist." 

She glanced up at him and nodded weakly. 

Gently, he kissed her forehead. "Need help getting back in bed?" 

"If you don't mind." 

Picking her up, he carried her back to bed covered her with the blankets. Then he sat next to her and put his arm around her. "You get better." 

"It seems like you're always taking care of me." 

"Well, that's my job." He smiled. 

"I'm sorry," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"It's all right. It's not your fault you get sick. I don't blame you at all." 

She sighed, "But don't you get tired of taking care of me all the time?" 

He smiled. "No. Otherwise I shouldn't have married you." 

She sighed again. 

"What's the matter?" 

"I was never this sick back in Brooklyn." 

He kissed her forehead. "Well, there must be a reason, hmm?" 

"I don't think it's this house...I got sick on the island too..." 

"I don't know what it could be," he replied honestly. 

"Spot, what if I'm dying? I remember this one lady that came to see Trent..." 

"You aren't dying," he said firmly. 

"But, Spot...I could be...she didn't think anything was wrong either...and her husband brought her in...and..." 

He kissed her to shut her up. "Stop talking like that. If you are so worried, then I'll get Trent." 

She shook her head, "It's too far for him to come." 

"Then I'll take you to him. One way or another, if you are that worried, we must find out for certain, hmm?" 

She shook her head again, "I'm sure I'll be fine Spot...just a little upset stomach...no need to go through all that trouble." 

With a sigh, he kissed her forehead again. "All right... But if this doesn't stop after a couple days, I'm taking you to Brooklyn whether you like it or not." 

She nodded. "I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning."' 

"You'd better be." He smiled a little. "I'm holding you to that." 

She smiled up at him weakly. "You're already holding me, Spot." 

He laughed a little. "That's true." 

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder again, "Just don't ever let me go." 

"I won't." 

She closed her eyes and after another moment was sound asleep. 

He sighed, resting his head on top of hers. "You'd better get well soon, woman," he murmured, staring at the ceiling. 

There was a soft knock at the door. He glanced at it. "Come in," he called quietly, glancing at Rae to make sure she hadn't woken up. 

Chris opened the door and Ann walked in carefully balancing a plate of food in her little hands. 

He smiled, sitting up carefully, slowly readjusting Rae in his arms. "And what is this? Breakfast?" 

She nodded. "Me and Nick thought you might get hungry." 

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Annie." He took the plate from her. "And it smells yummy. Were you a good helper for Nick?" 

She nodded excitedly. "He said that I can help him with dinner too." 

"That's wonderful. I'm glad you like helping him!" 

She looked at Rae, "Is Momma feeling better?" 

"Annie," Chris hissed from the doorway. "Let's go." 

"But... but I just wanted to know..." 

"Come on," Chris hissed again. 

"Momma is feeling a little bit better, sweetheart," Spot replied. 

Ann nodded and latched on to Chris' hand as they left the room. Spot then sighed and leaned his head back against the headboard. Looking down at Rae tucked beneath his arm, he gently kissed her forehead before glancing at the ceiling again. 'Please let everything be okay' he thought. 

* * * 

Two days later Spot was working on something at the desk in the office when Chris stuck his head in and knocked on the door. "Got a minute?" 

Looking up from the letter he was writing, he glanced at Chris and nodded. "'Course I do." 

Chris walked in and dropped into a chair. "I think something has happened to my father." 

Spot set his pencil on the desk and glanced at him inquisitively. "Why do you say that?" 

"Father was in the habit of answering letters the same day that he got them. That letter has had plenty of time to get to him...and get back." 

He nodded slowly. "Do you think perhaps your father may not live at that address anymore?" 

"It's possible...but he would have sent word." 

"But he didn't know where you were, remember? You and Julie ran away to go find him again and all that's happened.... and you've been here since." 

Chris sighed. "I think I should write my aunt and tell her where we are." 

Spot nodded. "I'm sure she'd appreciate it." 

"It means that she will come and get us and take us back with her." 

Spot pursed his lips. "Well... I... you... you are her family, after all..." 

"Julie hated it there." 

He frowned. "There isn't much Rae and I could do to stop her from taking you back, if you did write her." 

"Do I have to write her?" 

"That... that's up to you," he replied. 

"What do you think I should do?" 

Spot smiled. "I think you should do what you think you is best... for both you and Julie AND your Aunt." 

Chris sighed again, "I don't know what to do." 

"Well... you can think on it for a little while longer. Or ask Julie." 

"She would say to go back because that's where Father wanted us...but she was miserable there." 

Spot sighed. "Well... I honestly don't know what to tell you. You both are more than welcome to stay with us, you know, if that's what you want. But it is up to you." 

The door opened and Ann came running in, "Daddy..." 

Spot sent her a disapproving look, "Ann, please wait your turn." 

"But-" 

He held up a hand and looked at Chris. 

Chris shrugged. "I'm done anyway." 

Spot looked back down at Ann, "Now what do you need, Miss Annie?" 

"Momma told me not to tell you that she's sick again..." 

He frowned deeply. "All right. Thank you, sweetheart." Standing, he left the study and trotted to his and Rae's room. He heard the sound of her soft sobs coming from the bathroom as he entered the bedroom. He entered the bathroom and sat next to her, placing a hand on her back. "Tell me." 

"I was feeling better....and then this morning....my head started pounding....and then I started feeling sick....I nearly passed out on my way back up here...." she buried her head in his shoulder as she continued to cry. 

Circling his arms around her, he rubbed her back gently. "Want to go to Brooklyn? Or for me to get Trent down here?" 

"Trent can't take the time off to come down here just to see me....but I don't feel up to the trip to Brooklyn....maybe when I'm feeling better..." she said weakly. 

With a sigh, he kissed her forehead. "Tell me the moment you're feeling better. I want you checked out as soon as possible." 

She nodded weakly. "I'm so sorry, Spot," she said, bursting into tears again. 

"Shh, it's all right," he murmured soothingly, stroking her hair. 

She moaned, "Must the twins be so loud?" she asked holding her head. 

Spot looked down at her concerned, he hadn't heard a thing. "Ready to go lie back down? I'll go send them outside to play, if you'd like." 

She nodded, "I don't think I can make it on my own, though." 

He smiled. "That's what I'm here for." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to bed. Pushing her hair out of her face, he kissed her eyelids gently. "I'll be right back." 

She nodded weakly and rolled over He watched her worriedly. What could possibly be wrong? He slipped back downstairs and found Chris. "Do me a favor and take the twins outside to play. And try to keep them quiet." Chris looked at him a bit confused but nodded and went to gather them. Spot sat on the steps and placed his head in his hands. Could things get any worse? 

He couldn't imagine how it could. Unless, of course, Rae... He swallowed hard. No, she wouldn't die. But still, he ran up the stairs to make sure. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand. "Don't you dare die on me, Rae Kelly!" he whispered. 

Stirring slightly, she murmured drowsily, "What?" 

"I didn't mean to wake you sweetheart," he said, placing his hand on her cheek, "Go back to sleep." She squeezed his had before burrowing further beneath the blankets and closing her eyes again. With a sigh he leaned down to kiss her forehead, "I love you," he whispered, holding her hand tightly. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Tap-tap... tap-tap... 

'What's that noise?' Rae thought drowsily, awakening the next morning. It took her a moment to realize someone was tapping on the door. "Come in," she murmured with a yawn. 

Ann crept in. "Momma... I heard someone walking around singing... but... but no one is up..." She gave Rae a frightened look. 

"Are you sure you weren't just dreaming, sweetheart?" 

She nodded. "I woke up 'cause I had to go potty..." 

Spot woke up and rolled over, "What's going on?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. 

"She heard someone singing," Rae explained. 

"It was probably just her imagination. Go back to your bed and go to sleep, Ann." 

"But it wasn't," she whined, climbing on the bed and pounding Spot's chest emphatically. "I heard it!" 

He grabbed her little fists in his large hands, "Ann you better start behaving, quick." 

She whimpered. "I heard it, Daddy. I did. I'm not making it up." 

With a sigh he stood and scooped her up into his arms. "Fine, we'll go take a look just to show you that nothing is there and then you are going back to your bed." 

"I didn't see anyone... I just heard it..." 

"I'm just going to prove to you that there is no one there." 

She sniffled and plopped her head on his shoulder. 

He carried her out into the hallway, "See...no one...now will you go back to sleep?" 

She whimpered. "I'll... I'll try..." 

"Julie is here with you too, sweetheart. You'll be fine." 

"Do I have to Daddy?" she sniffled. 

"Yes. We talked about this before. You have to learn to sleep by yourself." 

She nodded silently as tears rolled down her cheeks. 

Gently, he kissed the top of her head and set her in bed. Wiping her tears away, he pulled her blankets up over her. "You'll be all right, I promise." 

"Please don't leave me Daddy." 

"But I have to go back and stay with Momma, Annie." 

"But..." 

He placed a hand on her head. "Ann..." 

Her lip quivered. 

Julie rolled over, "It's alright, Ann, I'm right here," she whispered, wrapping her arms around the younger girl. 

She sniffled and plopped her head on her pillow. Spot gave Julie a grateful look and left the room after saying goodnight. He walked back into his room and dropped heavily onto the bed next to Rae. 

"Trouble getting her to bed?" 

He nodded. 

"Well...? How'd you do it?" 

"Julie did it." 

She smiled, snuggling up to him. "I'm glad we found them." 

He kissed the side of her head, "Me too." 

* * * 

"They're back, they're back!" Andy ran into the house shrieking. 

Rae winced, feeling better for the first time in days, but she still had a headache. "Who's back?" 

"Molly and Kendra and - and - and the other two!" 

She pulled herself up from the couch and made her way to the front door. Sure enough, Molly, Blank and Shadow were headed toward the house with Baby Kendra. 

"Welcome back," she called, almost quietly, for shouting made her head hurt more. 

Blank gave her a concerned look, "Are you alright?" he asked, as he jogged up the porch steps. 

"I'm okay... I think... I've just been a little sick off and on for the last few days..." 

"Are you sure that you feel up to taking care of Molly and Kendra?" 

She gave him a slightly inquisitive look. 

"You already have your hands full with Chris, Julie and the twins, if you don't think you can handle Molly and Kendra, I can always take them to Mrs. Doc." 

"I... I think we'll be fine... I have Spot... And Nick is still living with us... And Chris and Julie are often a tremendous help. But thank you." She smiled appreciatively. 

"If you're sure." She nodded. "Alright, then Shadow and I are headed back to Brooklyn on the afternoon train." 

"You aren't staying with your father then? How did it go? If you don't mind me asking, that is." 

"Father had to go back to his boat. It went alright I guess. We spent a lot of time talking and catching up and he promised to stop in and see us in Brooklyn, next time he's in town." 

"And they had a couple vicious little spats too," Shadow chimed in with an evil grin, stepping up beside him. He elbowed her hard. "Hey!" she protested, rubbing her side, "That hurt!" 

"It was supposed to." 

She whacked the back of his head. 

Rae smiled, watching them. "Alright you two, cut it out, I don't want Ann and Andy to start beating up on each other." 

"But beating him up is my daily exercise," Shadow kidded, walking past her and into the house. 

Blank sighed. "I don't think things went well with her and our father either..." 

Rae leaned against the doorframe. "Give them time, Blank. You can't suddenly expect them to be family after being apart for so long." 

He nodded and sighed. "But ... you should have been there... I could just tell.. you could feel it- She wasn't ready to forgive him." 

"I know how she feels Blank. I'd feel the same way if I found my parents." 

He nodded and sighed. "I guess I just expected too much, hmm?" 

"A little. You just wanted your family to be together again." 

"I guess." He gave her a little smile and then entered the house after Shadow. 

Rae reached to take Kendra from Molly and rubbed her nose on the baby's fat cheek. She couldn't help but smile when Kendra cooed at her. A pair of strong hands took Kendra from her and she turned to see Spot standing beside her. He slipped his free arm around Rae and led her back inside. "You shouldn't have gotten up. They would've come in to see you," he said. 

"I know... But you don't know how tired I get of just sitting around... doing nothing... Even if I am sick." 

"I'm just trying to get you feeling better, sweetheart, so that I can take you to see Trent and make sure that nothing is wrong." 

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. 

He kissed the top of her head as they stopped next to the couch. "Sit down and I'll let you have Kendra again." 

She smiled a little and sat down, holding out her arms immediately. "Hi sweetie," she cooed, stroking the baby's cheek gently. Kendra's little hand came up slowly and gripped Rae's finger. Rae bent down to kiss the baby's cheek, "Welcome home Kendra," she whispered. Spot watched Rae with the baby and kissed the side of her forehead gently. 

Blank cleared his throat, "Shadow and I have to leave to catch the train..." 

Spot stood up and squeezed Blank's shoulder. "You two be careful, okay? And tell Trent we'll be coming up to see him soon." 

"We will," Shadow said as she bent over to kiss the baby's forehead. 

"Come back to visit again," Rae insisted. "And tell everyone else they can come too." 

"But not all at once," Spot added hurriedly. 

Shadow laughed, "I think I'll tell them to all come at once...because Spot said they could," she said with a twinkle in her eye. 

He smirked. "You do and you'll regret it little girl." Then he winked. 

Blank turned to Molly and gave her a big hug, "I'll come back and see you Mol, as often as I can." 

Molly and Shadow exchanged wary glances before giving one another very tentative embraces. "Uh... maybe I'll come too," Shadow finally said, stepping back quickly. 

Molly nodded slightly, "I'll be waiting..." 

Glancing at one another, Shadow and Blank nodded firmly, swinging their sacks over their shoulder, waved goodbye to Nick, Chris, and the others, and headed out the door. Molly sighed and leaned against the doorframe, watching them leave. 

~*~ 

Rae was sitting in bed reading a few mornings later when Spot entered the room with a tray of food. Her face paled, "Spot, please take that out of here, I..." 

He backed up as she bolted past him. Setting the tray outside the door, he then returned and sat next to her in the bathroom, pulling her hair back as she threw up. "Are you all right? What happened?" 

"Just the smell of that food makes me sick," she answered weakly. 

He frowned, holding her close when she finally straightened. 

She attempted to stand, but he picked her up and carried her back to the bed. 

"I'm sorry Spot... I'm so sorry..." 

He kissed her forehead. "Stop apologizing. It's not your fault you're sick." 

She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes as a single tear rolled slowly down her cheek. 

Climbing up next to her, he slipped his arms around her waist, rocking her back and forth slowly. "Don't cry, darling." 

"I'm sorry Spot...I hate being like this...and I know you get tired of having to take care of my all the time..." 

"I'm not tired of it. Not at all. I wish you'd get better because it worries me... and I know you don't like being bedridden, but I'm not tired of it. What kind of husband would I be then?" 

She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, "You are too good to me, Spot Conlon." 

He smiled. "Nothing's too good for you." 

She looked up at him, "I love you, Spot." 

"I love you too, Rae." He glanced over at the book she had been reading, "Ah, so you were reading the diary again, eh?" 

She nodded, glancing down at it. "It's very interesting. The woman and her husband actually fell in love... I'm glad for them... It must have been awful, being in an arranged marriage like that... not really knowing who you were married too." 

"It was," a strange voice answered. 

Rae looked up. "Did you hear something?" 

Spot was glancing around. "I... I thought so... Hello? Anyone in here?" But there was no response. 

She shivered and shrank closer to him. "She tells of a secret passage that goes from the third floor out to the barn, and another one that goes from the barn out into the woods...." 

"Did she say where exactly it starts yet?" 

"Not yet, but she did finally name her husband." 

Spot tilted his head. "Finally, eh? What is it?" 

"Kris...but his closest friends call him Nick..." 

"Nick..." He gave Rae an odd little look. "You don't suppose..." 

Simultaneously, they shook their heads. "Naaah... can't be..." 

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Spot yelled. 

Julie stuck her head into the room. "Nick wants you downstairs..." 

Lifting a brow, he nodded. "Both of us? Or just me?" 

"Both of you." 

He glanced at Rae. "Wanna piggy back ride?" he asked with a smile. 

She glared at him. 

"I'm serious." 

She shook her head, "No piggy back rides, please." 

With a smile, he scooped her up. "You're no fun," he teased gently. 

"No...you just spoil me." 

He grinned. "Well, someone has to do it." 

She kissed his cheek, "Let's go see what Nick wants." 

Carrying her downstairs, he set her down in the living room and sat next to her, waiting for Chris to bring Nick in. 

They glanced at each other in shock as Chris entered not only with Nick....but with an older woman as well. 

Rae and Spot exchanged glances. 

Nick put his arm around the woman's waist, "Rae, Spot, this is my wife..." 

"You're married?" Spot squawked before he thought. 

Nick and the woman beside him smiled and nodded. "I'm Noelle," she replied, holding out a slim, slightly aged hand. 

Rae gasped and brought her hand to cover her mouth. 

"What's wrong honey?" Spot asked her, wondering if she needed to be rushed to the sink or not. 

"That's your diary!" Rae murmured. 

"Diary?" Noelle lifted a brow slightly, curious. 

"I... I found a diary in this house and..." 

"Oh yes, that." She laughed lightly. 

"So... that means... this is... your house?" Spot stared at Noelle and Nick. 

"It was," Nick answered, "we haven't lived here in years"

"Oh my..." Rae put a hand to her head. "And we just... up and trespassed..." 

Spot turned to her concerned, "Are you feeling sick again?" he whispered. 

"I... I just feel faint..." 

"Please don't faint on account of this. We have no intention of pressing any charges whatsoever...Why do you think I haven't said anything before now?" Nick asked. 

Rae rested her head on Spot's shoulder. "But... how... how did you know we were here?" 

Nick and Noelle exchanged secretive smiles. "Let's just say a little bird told us," Nick finally replied. 

"I've heard that before," Rae muttered. 

Spot grinned. "Hmm, wonder where?" 

Rae turned back to Nick and Noelle, "If you don't live here now....where do you live?" 

"Further north," Noelle replied. 

"I have so many questions...but I can't think clearly...my head hurts too much," Rae said, holding her aching head. 

Spot stroked her hair gently. "Save them for later." 

Noelle knelt in front of Rae, "Maybe you should see a doctor, honey..." 

"We've been trying to get her there... but every time we think we can get her out of the house, she gets quite sick again," Spot explained. 

"Maybe you should just go ahead and take her," Noelle said, giving Rae a knowing smile. 

He glanced at Rae. "Honey?" 

Rae sighed and nodded, "Take me to see Trent," she whispered. 

"We'll take care of the children," Noelle added. 

Rae looked at Noelle gratefully, "Thank you." 

The older woman smiled. "You are welcome, dearie." 

Spot kissed the side of Rae's head, "Let me go pack up a few things and then we can go." She nodded, squeezing his hand. 

Noelle left the room and returned a moment later with a glass of water. Spot slipped from the room to pack while Noelle sat with Rae. "So tell me what has been going on, Nick tells me you've been ill for quite some time." 

"I usually wake up sick...and certain smells make me sick...and my head has been hurting...." 

The woman nodded wisely and gave Rae a secret smile. "Well... I think I have an inkling as to what it could be..." 

Rae looked at the older woman, "I think I know what your inkling is...but that's not possible." 

Spot tramped into the room then. "Ready Rae?" 

She nodded. 

He helped her up and he thanked Nick and Noelle profusely. "We can never repay you..." 

"There is no need to repay us." Nick said. 

"But... You've given us so much," Rae replied. 

"No more talk of repayment now...just go and see that doctor," Noelle said. 

They nodded and went to say goodbye to the children before heading out the door. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

The carriage pulled to a stop outside the Brooklyn LH on a rainy night. A young man jumped out, his hat pulled low over his face. He paid the cabbie and walked back to the door. "Come on, sweetheart," he said, reaching for the woman inside. Once she was safely in his arms she rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her inside. He ignored the questions coming from the main room, carrying her up the stairs and into the bunkroom. He tucked her into one of the lower bunks and sat on the edge of the bed as sounds of pounding feet could be heard on the stairs. 

A young girl ran into the room and threw herself on the bed, "What are you doing here? Why didn't you stop and talk to us? And why are you in bed so early?" she asked, bouncing on the bed. 

"Because we're very tired. We had a long trip." Spot ruffled Jecca's hair. 

"But it's still early!" 

"But we're still tired. Don't worry.... we'll talk later, okay?" 

"Alright," Jecca whined. 

He smiled. "We may be here a few days, so why don't you and I go sell together in the morning?" 

She smiled brightly. "All right! Woohoo!" Jumping up, she trotted from the room. 

"Are you feeling any better Rae?" Blank asked. 

"I wouldn't have come back here if I didn't," she replied with a yawn. 

"You get some sleep. I'll try to fend off any questions." he said, leaving the room. 

She laughed a little. "They're great, you know that?" she told Spot. 

"Yeah. He's right though. You need to get some sleep." 

Wrinkling her nose, she finally nodded. "I better get well soon... I'm tired of this sleeping day in and day out..." 

He tucked the blanket tighter around her. "I want you better too. I don't like seeing you sick." 

"I would hope you wouldn't," she teased. 

He kissed the tip of her nose, "Go to sleep, Mrs. Conlon." 

"Yes sir... Nurse Conlon." She smiled, curled up on her side, and closed her eyes 

He snickered and bent down to kiss her cheek. "I'm going down to pay Hades for our bunks," he whispered, "but then I'm coming right back, and I want you asleep when I get back." 

"I'll try... but no guarantees." 

Spot walked downstairs and handed Hades a couple of coins. "Those are for our bunks." 

She flitted her hands at him. "Nah, tonight's on the house. You let Blank and Shadow hide out with you two free of charge." She shrugged. "'S the least we can do." 

He took her hands and placed the money in them. "Don't argue with me. I'll just win." he said, turning and heading back up the stairs. 

"Yeah right Conlon!" she yelled good-naturedly. 

"Goodnight, Hades!" he called over his shoulder. 

"See ya in the morning, Conlon." 

He returned to the room he and Rae were staying in and leaned over her sleeping form. "You asleep?" 

"Yes," she whispered. 

He smiled with a small laugh and kissed her forehead. "Good. Goodnight then." 

"Spot?" 

"Hmm?" He kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with a yawn. 

"Will you hold me?" 

"Of course, don't I always?" With a smile, he slipped his arms around her waist. "Now go. To. Sleep." 

With a yawn she closed her eyes and was asleep a moment later. Kissing her forehead, Spot closed his eyes and finally allowed himself to sleep as well.

~*~ 

Rae woke first the next morning and lay in bed, hoping that her stomach would settle. Several minutes later, Spot awoke. "Morning... how are you feeling?" was the first thing he said. Her reply was to jump up and make a dash for the bathroom. He sighed worriedly and followed her. "I'll go for Trent, okay?" 

She shook her head a couple of times, "Please don't leave me." 

"Would you rather me take you to him then?" he asked, pulling her to a stand gently. 

"Maybe this afternoon. I just don't feel up to leaving this room right now." she said, resting her head on his shoulder. 

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-THUMP! 

Spot turned with a start. "Oh... I think that would be Jecca..." 

Sure enough, just moments later, Jecca poked her head into the room. "Ready to go you guys?" 

"I'll let you know in a minute. And KNOCK next time." 

"Why?" 

"Because it's the polite thing to do." 

"All right, all right... Gee, you were never this picky before..." She slid out of the room. 

"I was never married before!" he yelled after her. Rae gave a small smile. He led her back over to the bed. "I'm taking you to see Trent right after lunch. No arguing." 

She nodded. "If I'm not throwing everything up by then." 

"You refused to eat last night and you haven't had anything today. You don't have anything left to throw up." 

"Mm... but somehow I still manage." She smiled a little. "Go... Jecca's probably gonna bust the door down waiting for you to sell with her." 

He kissed her forehead. "Please get some rest." 

She smiled. "Trust me, I will be.... It's all I ever get." 

"Come on Spot!" Jecca yelled from downstairs. "If we don't hurry there won't be any papes left!" 

"Coming, I'm coming!" Spot yelled back. Squeezing Rae's hand, he said, "Be back soon. Love you." 

She settled herself back into the bed and sighed. 

Spot gave Jecca a smile as she huffed in annoyance, seized his arm, and dragged him out the door. "Boy, you sure are slow today. When are you and Rae coming back to Brooklyn?" 

"We'll come back to visit when we can, Jecca. But we have a house of our own now." 

"But... how do you sell papes?" 

"We don't." 

"You don't?" She stared at him blankly. "Then what do you do?" 

"Nothing right now." 

"But..." She gaped. "Don't you have like.... a million people living with you?" 

He laughed slightly, "There are six...no eight people living with us." 

"Like I said, a million! How do you all live if you don't do nothin'?" 

"Well...when Rae and I first found the house we found a bunch of money just laying around..." He scratched his head, "I guess we'll have to give that back to Nick and Noelle." 

Stopping in her tracks, she stared at him some more. "You just found money LYING AROUND?!" 

"Well, it was in a desk drawer...but the house had been deserted for years." 

"Wow... just... just... wow..." 

He laughed. "Are we going to sell our papers or not?" 

"Oh... right." Jecca nodded. "Wow... money... just... there!... Wow..." 

"If you hold your mouth open any longer the flies will buzz right in." 

She snapped her mouth closed. "How come you live with so many people? Do you run a new lodging house now?" 

"Not really. You remember Ann and Andy right?" 

She nodded. 

"Well...Rae and I have adopted them, and a little baby." 

"Wow... but..." She counted on her fingers. "That doesn't make eight. That makes three." 

"Chris and Julie are staying with us until they find their father. And Blank and Shadow's sister Molly is staying with us too." 

"Shadow has ANOTHER unknown family member? Wow.... Weirder and weirder things keep happening to y'all- 30 papes please." 

"One hundred," Spot said, throwing the money for both of them on the counter. 

Grabbing her papers, she headed away with Spot at her heels. "I have a new selling spot... it's way better than the old one... I can usually sell all of these by the time I have to get the evening editions now." 

"Then lead the way." 

Grinning, she tramped ahead. With a slight smile he followed her. 

"Why did you and Rae come back to Brooklyn if you have a house?" Jecca asked later as they sold their papers. 

"Well, Rae needed some time to herself, well, without taking care of the kids, anyway... we both did. So Nick and Noelle are watching the kids for us, and we thought a trip here would be nice, to see everyone again." 

"Who are Nick and Noelle?" 

"They are the two people who used to own the house we live in..." 

"Did they give it to you?" 

"Sort of..." Spot replied. 

"Sort of? Does that mean you stole it? You stole a HOUSE?!" 

"No we didn't steal it. We needed a place to live and the house was empty so we just moved in." 

"And they just LET you keep it?" She arched a brow skeptically. "No one in New York'd ever do that." 

"There's something different about Nick and Noelle...I just can't figure it out." 

"They're nice?" she snorted. 

Spot nodded, "They offered to watch the other kids so that Rae and I could get some rest." 

Jecca sighed. "Bring them here... maybe they'll buy a bunch of my papes." 

He laughed and messed her hair. She wrinkled her nose and tried to straighten her hair when he was done. About an hour or so later, they were returning home. Jecca skipped on ahead, happy that she had sold her quota early. 

Once they entered the lodging house Spot ran up the stairs, "Rae?" 

She stirred awake, only lightly dozing. "What?" she muttered, slightly grumpy. 

"Get up, I'm taking you to see Trent." 

She mumbled incoherent phrases and sat up, yawning. "Okay..." 

He grabbed her boots and knelt down in front of her, "Here, slip your feet in." 

She did as told, yawning again, and climbed to her feet. "Let's go then." 

He slipped his arm around her waist, "Come on." 

They left the house amid questions from other newsies, such as "Where are you going?", "Leaving so soon?" and "Can I go too?" 

Blank stepped in front of the door. "They have something that they need to take care of...Alone!" 

~*~ 

"Get out, Spot!" 

"But Trent..." 

"You're not letting me DO anything! Just get out and let me finish examining her. You can ask all your questions later! When I'm done!" He pushed Spot out the door. 

"But-" 

"Zip it." 

"But I-" 

"Ah." 

"You-" 

"Nope." 

"I-" 

Click. The door closed. 

Spot growled in frustration. The door opened again and Trent stuck his head out. "Why don't you go take a walk. The fresh air will do you good." Click. The door closed again. 

Cramming his hands into his pockets, Spot stalked off. Rae was his WIFE! How could Trent just kick him out like that? Wasn't he allowed to be concerned? 

He walked for more than half an hour, not really paying any attention to where his feet carried him. He stopped suddenly and stared at the building across the street. Or rather, what was left of it. 

Horrible memories suddenly plagued his mind, jumbling up so quickly, it seemed as if one was trying to outdo the other to overwhelm him. The burning pain as the metal cut into his flesh...the frightened screams of the children as he herded them out the door...the horrified gasps of doctors and nurses at the hospital when they saw him... Not to mention the news the doctors told him- he'd never heal quite right... Then the gossip that followed... the shame and ugliness he felt... 

One memory seemed to come back more than the others...Rae's gentle kiss the day she had left him to return to Brooklyn, intent on marrying another. She'd seen through the web of scars to see him... the REAL him, not the mask he wore for his boys, not the muted anger he hid behind after the explosion... One of the firemen who had pulled him from the building had said that it was a miracle that he had made it out alive. But he didn't consider that to be his miracle. His miracle was across Brooklyn being examined by a doctor and he could possibly lose her. And Dr. Trent wouldn't even let him stay with her! 

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. With a start, he whirled around and saw Rae standing behind him. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "What did he say?" 

She gave him a small smile. "Well... there was a reason for me to be sick all the time... and I'm not dying." 

"What else did he say?" 

"That the doctors that took care of you after the explosion are kooks and are wrong." 

He lifted his brow curiously. "What... what do you mean?" 

"I'm pregnant, Spot." 

"You... You're WHAT?!" 

"I'm going to have a baby." 

He just stared at her, slack-jawed for a moment, then he grabbed her into a tight hug and kissed her, whooping so loud that passersby paused to stare. 

She pulled back slightly, "Behave, Spot Conlon." 

He beamed, eyes shining. "How can you expect me to behave?! This is the best news we could have ever received!" 

She rested her head on his chest, laughing. 

Hades ran up to them, "What are you two doing way over here on 34th Street?" she asked. 

Spot looked at the burnt out shell of the factory and then back down at Rae. He grinned, "Just discussing our little miracle." 

THE END!!!

Another one is finished!!! Thank you all for sticking with us this far and we hope that you will continue on with us to the next story: "The Kringle House: I'll Be Home For Christmas". We don't have a teaser for this fic, but we do have a summary.......

When a child is murdered in Pleasant Valley, the people in the town immediately blame "The Beast" When Spot is forced to leave town or face a lynching mob, he promises his family that he will return before Christmas. Will he be able to return in time? Will he be back home in time for another major event?


End file.
